Uncharted Waters
by ravensbomb
Summary: Korra, a street wise teen, joins a motley crew heading to a new land. Asami, sent under cover by her wealthy father, is the ships engineer. The crews loyalties are deeply divided between the Captain and Quartermaster. As the pair grow closer the lies, dark pasts and betrayals on board the boat threaten to send them all to a watery grave more than the dangers of the sea ever could.
1. Korra the Marked One

The aging window was caped in the muck and grime that was being excreted by the industrial city the glass offered a 'view' of. It was probably a good thing. Outside everything looked the same, grey building after grey building clawing towards the horizon. Endless crooked alleyways filled with societies castaways, breathing in and spurting out soot and ash that seemed to cling to them like an unwanted but constant companion.

The black cobbled walls and cracked floor they trudged on a stone tomb of sorts. Korra stood and squinted at what smokey figures she could make out through the poor excuse for a window, her icy blue eyes reflecting back at her through the grime. She had been one of them once. She still was.

The black mark that scarred the back of her right hand a constant reminder of her fall from grace, her exile from the place she had once called home. Korra panned from the mark to the horizon and allowed herself to smile briefly. The ocean lay beyond, beckoning her with its salty scent. Today she would cleanse herself of all the darkness that had came before and set sail for a new life, a chance at redemption.

She removed her hand from the glass leaving a dirty finger print. A poorly constructed bag lay on the floor beside her makeshift bed. Korra slung it over her muscular shoulders, it was light. She only wanted to take essentials. _I don't want any reminders of this place. Of this life. Everything that's wrong with here...everything that's wrong with me. What I've had to do. All of it. Leave it all behind._

She pulled a pair of brown leather gloves from the pockets of her long faded black jacket, the baggy white under shirt beneath had turned a murky grey from months on the streets. As she pulled the gloves on Korra stared at the black mark scarring her hand was covered by leather. She paused. _You will not ruin my life any more. No more. _Then the caramel skinned teen strode out of the shabby wooden room making her way towards the street below.

She kept a firm grip on the knife in her belt as she made her way past the other social pariahs who had taken up residence in the same burnt out and abandoned building. It had been an inn for some of the empires navy in the past but had since fallen into disrepair and ruin.

Some men from the workers revolutionary group 'The Triads' had set the building on fire during a revolt against new 'social taxes' imposed by the imperials.

The empire's government had claimed that the new tax was going to be used to help the nations poorest and most vulnerable citizens. It did the exact opposite, the poor became even poorer and began to rebel and disrupt. Many of them joined 'The Triads' as the empire faced unprecedented resistance and instability. They survived through brute force and betrayal.

Much of the new 'social taxes' had been invested in the imperial military and police force who in the end outclassed the revolutionaries in every way. The uprising was quelled after many months of fighting but the war had taken its toll. The city and much of the land were still scarred from street battles and arisen attacks. This inn was just one of many buildings which served as a reminder of the revolt.

For some it was inspiring, a indication that the imperials were not as strong as they perceived themselves, Korra had heard that splinter cells of 'The Triads' were still active in the city, not that she had met any of them, they were illusive, a myth, a story for poor children to give them hope that change would come some day.

For others the flame scarred buildings represented all of the governments undying strength and how they had purged the 'terrorists' with relative ease thanks to their investment in new technology which was developed by the engineers of 'Future Industries'.

The empire was brutal and the people here would never be allowed to forget. Korra hadn't concerned herself with the rebels, all she had wanted to do since she fled to the city was survive. She was too young to remember any of the war that had taken place and had lived too far away from the fighting to have ever really felt involved.

The city was cruel but the people who resided here were crueler. Korra had taught herself everything she needed to know about this place. She knew the best places to get fresh food that had been wastefully thrown away, places where you get yourself cleaned for free (not that she bothered much), which areas to avoid at night and during the day, where you could get the best view of the ocean (she traveled their often) and where the easiest people to mug walked in the evening.

She had trained herself with a knife for protection and safety but luckily had never had to use it. Most of the people she had mugged handed over their money as soon as she brandished the blade which she keep incredibly clean. It seemed the brighter the steel gleamed the more people were fearful of it. _Maybe they are smart enough to realise I can do more than just hold it menacingly. _

The reason Korra had never had to use it was because she knew who to target. _Always the rich, never the poor._ This wasn't because she believed herself some 'Robin Hood' like vigilante giving to the poor, she kept what she stole. She needed to. Korra had found that the poor were far more defensive over what little they had and wouldn't give it up without a fight. They also tended not to carry much money on their person either.

_They are smart like that. _The rich on the other hand had nothing to lose. They had plenty of wealth back in their cosy, warm home and were never keen to lose their life over what 'little' they carried in their pockets. Which happened to be a lot for Korra, for most people. She had saved up what little she could every since she had arrived in the city and in the last month she had finally made enough, enough to buy passage on a ship and pay the toll at the docks.

The old inn hadn't been a particularly warm or comfortable place to stay over the past few weeks but Korra had been grateful of its existence none the less. It was far safer than being on the streets, even if she had to share with other people. As she walked past their down-trodden and soot covered faces they all in in turn turned away and hunched against the wall.

_It's better for them to be afraid of me. It means they won't bother me, _Korra assured herself as she brushed past them, her eyes darting left and right scanning all of their varied expressions, their postures. Even their breathing.

This was the most money she had ever carried and she was not prepared to lose it. _Not today. _She breathed a sigh of relief as she finally made it to the front door, coughing as soot coated the back of her throat. _I hate this place. _Even this faraway from the docks Korra could smell the sea, she released her grip on the hilt of her knife and walked purposefully out of the maze of alleyways towards the harbor and redemption, not daring to look back at the place she had called home for the past few weeks.

She felt herself relax more and more as the scent of salt grew stronger with every step. The streets began to widen and her vision was no longer hindered by clouds of soot from nearby factories and chimneys. The more distance she put between herself and the slums the more the people around her seemed to change, they didn't just dress differently, they held themselves strangely as well.

They were like a different species entirely. Korra couldn't but mimic their purposeful strides as she walked past them. She turned a corner at the top of a hill and suddenly the ocean was everywhere. Consuming all of her senses. She wanted to run towards it just in case in disappeared, her last chance of escape gone. But it stayed, constantly shifting and swaying like it was a living creature.

_Is it trying to tease me? _Korra wondered.

She had always been fascinated by water, the way it flowed so precisely , how it moved between objects.

_Water can destroy lives and save lives. It's so powerful. I wish that I had so much control. So much strength. Then I would never have to worry again, never be rejected again. I could...I could do so much._

Korra stood and stared, completely infatuated with the clear blue land that lay before her. She hadn't even noticed a frail looking young man staggering towards her. He was clutching his chest and looked like he was on the verge of collapse. He was relatively youthful in appearance, maybe a few years younger than her with dark black hair and tanned skin.

Just as he began to fall onto one knee Korra snapped into action, grabbing under his shoulders before he hit the ground. She looked into his green eyes, concerned that he was having a heart attack. "Are you okay?" she queried reassuringly.

The boy replied weakly. "I'm fine. Thank you." he said trying to pull himself back on his feet.

"Hey! Don't even bother. Put you're arm around my shoulder. I'll take you into that pub to sit down." she stated firmly, pointing to a stone building across the road as a horse and cart trundled past.

The boy seemed to come to life suddenly and regained his posture. "I'm fine. Thanks for the help.!" he said quickly, wriggling free from Korra's grip.

He spun around and tore back into the maze of alleyways she had just came from. The confused teenager stood and scratched her short dark brown hair in confusion, adjusting the light blue rag she had tied around her forehead.

"What a weirdo." she said aloud reaching down to the bag attached to her belt.

Her heart froze as she felt only leather where her bag had been. She frantically patted all over her clothes, only feeling the hilt of her blade.

_No. No. No. It can't be. It can't. That, that little...! Not my money! When I catch him. Oh he's going to wish he had never been born! _

She spun around about to run down the alley after the youth that had robbed her when she realised there was no point. She collapsed into the dirt road. There would be no point in chasing him down now. If he was anything like her he would of found a place to hide by now and she would spend days hunting him.

There was a reason the system of alleyway's was called 'the dead zone', trying to find someone in there was like trying to find a ghost.

Even those who knew it like the back of their hand would struggle to find a person once they entered the maze. Korra looked determinedly back towards the ocean. _I will leave here today. Come hell or high water. This city will not beat me. _She knew this city and she knew how to make money quickly. She looked towards the main headquarters of 'Future Industries' which rose high into the skyline.

Wealth and workers poured from that building every lunch-time to have meetings with business partners in the rest of the city. _Plenty of apples ripe for plucking _Korra smiled. She would have to be quick, the ship was due to sail from the harbor within the hour and once it was gone so was her chance at a new life.

This would be her most difficult mugging to date.

The 'Future Industries' building was nothing like alleyways she usually prowled in. It was a very public location with wide open spaces and inevitably someone other than her victim would see what she was doing. Korra pulled her blue bandanna down to conceal her face tying it tightly at the back of her head. _You better stay put. You hear?_ She might have to use her knife.

_Can I really do that? Is a new life really worth going there? _She decided she would make the choice when the time came.

After several minutes of sprinting and weaving through the streets she made it to the wide open space outside the front of the 'Future Industries' building. Hordes of workers stood around eating and making small talk, some were covered in soot and others looked pristine. Neither group mingled.

Korra moved like a flowing stream between the crowd, looking for a target. Once she was clear of the bulk of the workers there were only a few people in front of her all heading in different directions. Time was running out.

She scanned the 5 different people as quickly as possible before they all tailed off into the city again. _Okay, okay. They are all clean. They all look after themselves._

_ They are all carrying some money. But is it enough? Focus. That guy on the left is physically built. He would be a pain in the butt to try and take down. Not an option._

_ Next person. A little older looking, he has an imperial medal pinned to his jacket. A military must be some kind of veteran, he will have a combat training. Not an option. _

_This lady. She doesn't look like she knows where she is going. But she doesn't seem to have any money within easy reach. It must be in an inside pocket. It would be too difficult to try and take it cleanly and get away. I would have to use the knife. Not an option._

_ Okay, two to go. A guy and a girl. Right. The guy. He looks unsteady on his feet, he seems to be walking with a limp, maybe a work injury. _

_The girl. She has...dark hair. Really shiny...focus Korra! She is carrying a bag, it would be easy to grab. Really easy. She looks physically fit, but the bag. It's too easy to grab._

Her decision was made for her when the remaining man walked in the direction of the imperial military main barracks.

_Not an option anymore. Damn. I don't want to hurt the girl. I have to be quick. If I'm quick no one will get hurt. _

Korra made her move running at great speed towards the girl from the rear, her gloved hand reaching out towards the hanging bag.

She was at full stretch as her fingertips made contact with a rich leather when suddenly the stranger viciously grabbed her wrist and spun around flipping Korra over smashing her back onto the ground. The move wounded her as the thief tried to catch her breath again.

Just as she was about to get up the black haired stranger was on her again gripping Korra's right arm like a vice, pulling it behind her back and using her knee to force the dark skinned teen to the ground.

"What the hell do you think your doing!?" the stranger shouted as calmly as her voice would allow. There was still a detectable tremble to her tone. She maintained her firm grip on her muggers wrist.

Korra tried to wiggle free of the hold as people began to move towards the commotion. _Am I going to get arrested now? The knife. The knife. I can use the knife. No,I can never go there. Never go to that place. Today is a clean slate._

As Korra desperately tried to find a way to free herself from the stranger and escape she felt her leather glove slip off her wrist slightly revealing the dark spot that scarred her hand.

She heard the stranger gasp in horror upon seeing the injury. A mark that had caused Korra to lose her home, her family and nearly took her life. 'The black death.'

She felt the stranger recoil and loosen her grip slightly, but never completely. This girl was the first person Korra could remember not having ran away in utter fear after seeing the mark.

_She's brave. And stupid. _

She had made a fatal mistake though, her arm was bent now, its grip no longer rigid and it was enough for Korra to break free and tear away with incredible speed in the direction of the harbor.

* * *

The stranger kept a firm grip on her bag and her passage money as she watched on in confusion and shock as the masked teen disappeared back into the city and out of sight. Workers began to crowd around the heiress to 'Future Industries', they fawned over her.

"Are you injured?!".

"Are you okay my dear?"

"Hold on let me get your father."

Asami felt her skin crawl. Always daddy's helpless little girl.

_Did they not just see what I did to that mugger?_

_ Granted the attacker had approached at the wrong angle._

_ If they had came at a tighter degree and used their speed to topple the me they she would of got away cleanly._

_ Still, the black mark saved them in the end. How could they possibly have that mark and still be alive? _

_Was it a fake? No.  
_

_ Why would someone fake that? _

"No. It's fine. I'm fine. Get back to whatever it is your are suppose to be doing." she said firmly.

The workers knew better than to challenge their employers daughter and scuttled back to their respective work stations.

_It is only every the clean ones that bother with me. The soot covered portion. They barely bat an eye-lid. I don't think they would even care if that blue eyed stranger had stabbed me._

Asami brushed her coat off and secured her bag more tightly to her side.

She needed that money to pay for her passage at the harbor. She had been appointed a boatswain (engineer) on a ship she had been sent on by her father which was headed for the so called 'Promise Land.'

She began striding towards the docks at speed, making sure to be there before the boat set sail.


	2. Passage to a new land

Korra stood gasping against a moss covered stone wall peering cautiously and somewhat frantically around the corner. The dirt road that separated her from the docks of the harbor couldn't of been more than 3 meters wide but at this moment in time it seemed larger and more expansive that the vast blue ocean that lay just ahead, tantalizingly close.

The bitter air of the sea filled the young woman's lungs as she tried to regain her composure and ease the pounding of her heart, blood pumping in her ears, stifling the sound of the water as it lapped against age-old rock structures which had welcomed all kinds of merchants and naval ships for hundreds of years.

_Get it together, you idiot. You arrogant idiot. What where you thinking? Trying to rob someone right outside 'Future Industries' for the whole city to see? _She slapped her forehead lightly with a gloved hand. Her heart continued to beat its very own arrogant rhythm as Korra struggled to catch a breath and calm herself. _Why is this so hard today...ughhh, I was not ready to run. So not ready to run. _

She barely had the energy to even pinpoint exactly what was causing her utter lack of oxygen. Was it the frantic escape to the harbor front? It was the closest she had came to been caught by the authorities since she had arrived in the city. Maybe it was the absolute thumping that 'prissy' girl had given her after throwing her bodily into the dirt?

Apparently not prissy at all.

_ I knew I should of tried to rob the guy with the limp. I doubt he would of been able to maneuver out of the way of my attack the way she had. I suppose that would of been cheating. _

Korra pulled her form tightly back into the shadow of the wall as a group of imperial law enforcement officers bulled past in bright blue uniforms, whipping up a cloud of dust as ran. Were the government already hunting for her? She hadn't expected them to respond to the attempted robbery so quickly, it had only taken place a few minutes ago.

They were probably looking for someone else. There were a lot of people to be rounded up and arrested in this city regardless of whether they were good or bad. There didn't seem to be too much of a distinction between the two anymore. Korra didn't feel like she belonged to any of them. She was a toxic mixture of both.

_You tried to help that kid and look where that got you...at least I tried. _

She nodded to herself as her lungs finally felt full and clear again, her heart no longer trying to pierce her eardrums. The young woman pulled the blue bandanna she had been using to conceal the lower half of her face back to her forehead and tied it tightly.

_I'm guessing the authorities might be suspicious of someone who is actively trying to hide their identity with this thing. _Korra peered out around the corner once more, her sapphire eyes taking note of all the potential dangers and obstacles that lay between herself and the main gate to the harbor docks.

She took one last fleeting look at the hilt of her dagger before stepping out into the open. _Maybe I can be one of the good guys. _

She wasn't really sure if anyone was able to truly fulfill that role in this world. It seemed impossible. Today had been the start. She hadn't used the knife even though it had seemed at the time like there was no alternative. She had rescued a part of herself.

Well, truthfully the black spot that scarred her hand had done most of the work. She just had to sit there and listen to horrified screams. It was the first occasion Korra could think of where the mark she had felt so burdened and hindered by since the age of five had actually done something positive and useful in her life.

It had saved her from taking some innocent persons life and in turn had saved that part of her soul she had kept in tact, even after living on the street. The part that had given her hope that one day she could change for the better and find a new life. Maybe she ought to be more grateful for the scar, even after all of the pain and heartache it had caused her over the years.

* * *

Asami pulled out a dusty red waist coat and shabby brown jacket from her bag, briefly tapping her hand against the cotton pouch which lay at the very bottom to confirm that her passage money was still in tact. The wooden and iron entanglement of the cities harbor was now in full view. The port seemed to be particularly enlivened today with ships of all shapes and sizes docked as far as the eye could see.

Privateers, merchants, naval officers and the common sailor all seemed to mingle and interact as though they were firm friends, exchanging tales of their last voyage and how treacherous and exhilarating it had been. How they had been attacked by legendary sea creatures that had dragged many an experienced crew to a watery grave or that they had been boarded by an infamous band of pirates and bravely fought to repel their assailants.

It seemed extremely unlikely to Asami that so many excursions on the water had been as eventful and lively as many of sailors portrayed in their stories.

_They want to sound important, special. To be the center of attention, so desperate to conceal the fact that their incredible voyage had really been a lot of mundane, dirty and exhausting work which mainly involved scrubbing the wooden deck of the boat clean of marine life, climbing up the rigging in appalling weather conditions to adjust the sails and being screamed at by their Captain for not following ridiculous instructions to the letter. _

Suddenly she began to wonder what the hell she was doing here as she approached the main gate that led to the harbor docks and the vast amount of ships beyond. Her emerald eyes robotic-ally scanned the main sails of the ships she could see from this distance as a group of rowdy sailors walked past carrying barrels of rum.

They directed some unpleasant words at the black-haired young woman as they stumbled on by, visually disappointed when they received absolutely no response or acknowledgement.

Asami was far too focused on the task at hand to have even paid them any attention, taking note of all the different flags that streamed across the skyline from dozens of masts.

Studying nautical history meticulously before starting this journey had paid off now as she recognized most of the emblems fluttering across the clouds even this far away.

_There's a lot of imperial ships docked today. Dad did say something about some upstarts causing trouble in the 'dead zone', I guess there just making sure that the terrorists know the empires strength._

She saw a huge galleon belonging to 'Future Industries' casting off and couldn't help but smile wildly. Asami had assisted her father in its final design, making adjustments to the shape of the bow so that it cut through the water much more smoothly to increase its speed.

She had also made major alterations to the main and fore mast which had resulted in the ship being much more maneuverable and steerable. This came in particularly handy when the galleon was trying to sail through rocky terrain on the coastline or in combat where the huge wooden structure would have to dodge and evade canon fire from enemies.

Asami felt a sting of disappointment as she watched the ship sail off into the horizon. She had never been able to set foot on the galleon whose design she had played such a major role in.

_Dad made sure of that. He was quite happy to receive my help when it came to creating prototypes but when it came to actually letting me go on the ships. That was never even a remote possibility was it? You were scared of something happening to me, something like what happened to mum. _

That was why the task her father had assigned her had came as such a surprise. Maybe he finally trusted her to look after her own well being.

Even though she had been at the forefront of many of 'Future Industries' innovative technology she had never been a figurehead for the company. In fact outside of their employees Asami went about life relatively unnoticed, a reprieve she was very grateful for.

People paid attention to her for other things but none of that came as a result of being the daughter of one of the richest men in the city.

Here at the docks she was a nobody amongst an sea of nobody's and that made her incredibly happy. The 'new' outfit definitely seemed to be fooling people, she looked just as unwashed and dirty as the masses, she was blending in.

She couldn't help but grin again as she strode to the main gate of the docks, her boots now making contact with wooden planks as another group of sailors walked past her carrying heavy cargo.

She bowed her head slightly in greeting and then immediately wished she hadn't as the men stared at her in confusion as they moved on by.

_Oh why did you do that? So much for blending in. No more psychotic smiling or nodding at people in greeting. This isn't another business meeting of your fathers._

It seemed that there was only so much you could learn about the social codes and rules of the lower classes from book learning and study.

_I suppose you just have to experience it. _

The men that guarded the huge wooden gate at the harbor were shabbily dressed like herself. They didn't look like any government officials. They probably weren't.

_I guess it shouldn't come as any surprise that pirates run the toll gate since they already practically run the sea. I wonder why the imperials are so happy to let these criminals run the docks? _

_They have definitely got their hands in each others pockets _Asami thought as she rummaged inside her bag for her money pouch. Stone like men eyed her suspiciously as she pulled out enough to pay for the gate toll.

It took them a matter of seconds to count the gold pieces they had wrenched from her hand as she extended her arm timidly. She took a deep breath as she awaited a response, feeling increasingly nervous as seconds turned into minutes. Eventually the man who had taken her gold raised his arm upwards and nodded to Asami.

_So they do nod in greeting? Don't they? Oh please be right. Don't let that be a way of saying you are going to rip their head off or something. _She stepped forward with purpose as the guard moved aside and closed the wooden gate behind her.

_YES! It worked! I'm in the clear! _She breathed in relief. The first success of her task. Now to find the ship she was set be part of the crew of for who knows how long.

How her father had managed to get her a position as the vessels boatswain (engineer) she had no clue. Asami guessed that some large quantities of money had been exchanged under the table and that the esteemed name of 'Future Industries' had never been a part of the conversation.

She gazed around the harbor longingly, savoring her first real taste of freedom. _What is it going to feel like when we actually set sail? _She wondered in awe whilst at the same time searching for the flag of 'The Osprey' amongst the dozens of others that fluttered in the breeze. The black-haired girl rifled through her bag again pulling out some worn looking pieces of paper. She had drawn the flag of her assigned ship in here.

It took only a few seconds to find the page she was searching for, a proud looking grey and black bird of prey with piecing eyes stared back off the paper. _A distinctive flag. It shouldn't take too long to find. It's certainly much nicer looking than the cliché skull and cross bones you usually see on a pirate ship.  
_

She turned back to the gates of the city again, allowing the smell of salt and seaweed to envelop her. It was a scent she was fast becoming used to. Asami pondered for a second. Maybe she could ask one of the guards for directions to 'The Osprey.'?

It would certainly be quicker than searching the docks herself. She quickly decided against it as she watched a dark skinned girl and two pale young men shouting and arguing with the pirate guards at either side of the gates. They looked almost ready to come to blows. The girl in particular appeared as though she was on fire with anger, her arms flailing up and down at break neck speed, so much so that she may of been in danger of dislocating her shoulders.

On the harbor side of the gate the two young men were also shouting at the guards, no where near as fiercely as the girl but they seemed just as angry. The guards stood and watched, hands gripping the hilts of their swords and the wooden handles of their pistols.

The dark-skinned girl continued to swing her arms wildly but there was a certain amount of control in her stance. She looked as though she had combat experience before. Asami could see a knife poking out of the back of the girls belt and wondered why she bothered carrying it.

Her hands never even came close to the hilt of the blade.

_What is the point in carrying a dagger if you aren't going to use it to defend yourself? _

The guards were displaying a remarkable amount of patience as the argument continued. The taller looking young man with jet black, messy hair raised his arm upwards towards the pirates. He appeared to be showing them something on his skin.

His companion who also had dark hair but was slightly shorter with green eyes did the same gesture. Suddenly the guards went completely docile, releasing the grip they had maintained on their weapons and opening the gates, falling over themselves to move aside and let the dark skinned girl pass.

She greeted the two boys on the other side with an uncomfortable looking hug before walking off with them, laughing at something one of the shorter boys said to her before disappearing around a smaller vessel and out of sight.

_I wonder what they were all so angry about? Money. Definitely money. And why were those guards so scared of that teenage girl? She didn't look any older than me and they were twice her size and much better armed. What a weird place this harbor is. _

Asami allowed herself to smile once again as she turned away heading into the network of wood and stone platforms that made up the docks in search of the vessel whose inner most workings she would live and breath in this next chapter of her life.


	3. The Smiling Game

The gate to the harbor lay ahead, hundreds of people were swarming across the wooden platforms which made up the docks. The entrance was heavily guarded but not by the imperials like the blue eyed teen had expected. It seemed that privateers had taken charge of access to the ocean beyond.

It should of came as no surprise. The government had been particularly busy of late quelling rioters and unhappy workers all over the city.

The groups were no where near has organized as 'The Triads' of old but there was certainly enough of them to cause trouble. The result had been a lack of personnel to control key areas of the city, and the harbor had not been deemed strategically important to maintaining the power of the regime.

_Their problems come from people who have lived in the city all of their lives. Not from people arriving in the hope of a new one. Idiots. And definitely not from people who are trying to flee all of the poverty and corruption of this rotten place. Like me._

Korra sprinted across the dirt road that separated herself from freedom, almost getting herself run over by a horse and cart which steamed on past, carrying barrels of rum. She had been so focused on analyzing the men who stood guard at the gate she hasn't even noticed the death trap she had stepped blindly into it.

The muscular teen weaved and spun her way through the onslaught of wooden carts and horses like a leaf in the wind, narrowly avoiding being clipped and falling over on the edge of a particularly hefty wagon.

"Suicidal bloody idiot!" the driver shouted, his arm swinging out to try and hit her with his horse whip as he passed.

_I'll show you._

Korra grinned mischievously as she reached out with gloved hands to grab the rope at it fulls extension, adjusting her footing to stand firm once she had the whip fully in her grip.

Then she twisted her form swiftly, using her own body weight and the forward momentum of the the driver as he swung to wrench the whip out of his hand entirely, burning his palm from the friction and force of the movement.

Before the man even had a chance to react the teen had disappeared behind another cart and out of sight. Korra turned and grinned widely as she reached the other side of the dirt road relatively unscathed.

She looked briefly to the whip in her hand and the ocean in front of her.

_I think I'll return this to it's natural habitat_.

She lowered her stance before contorting her body and spinning forward putting all of her weight into the throw and watched on gleefully as the whip flew into the air before landing with a plop in the water below.

Now it was time to try and get through the gate. As she approached the entrance she realized she recognized none of the pirates who stood guard, she had spent a lot of nights in the city with the general scourge of society, which she included herself an honorary member of at times.

_I guess trying to smooze someone over with my wit and charm isn't going to work._

She saw a dark haired woman with clothes nearly as dirty as hers pass through the gate relatively unscathed, handing over a considerable sum of money.

_Has the toll money gone up? Hah, maybe I would never of been able to afford entry anyway_

She stood for several minutes contemplating a plan of attack. There was no may she would be able to fight her way through, the pirates were armed to the teeth with pistols and daggers. All she had was her knife.

One on one she knew she would be able to beat any of them in combat, but here she was heavily outnumbered and would be quickly overrun.

Her blue eyes scanned her surroundings rapidly, looking for an alternative route around the gate. There was none. Unless she wanted to try and swim to the ship, but she doubted that would go unnoticed by the pirates standing guard. Suddenly her eyes froze on her concealed marked hand. She remembered how people had reacted to it before. Korra had never used it as a weapon, it was a burden of her past, nothing more.

Perhaps this was the time to change all that hurt and heart break? To put the black spot to good use.

She began to pull her glove down until she could just see the edge of the discolored mark, permanently engraved into her skin. She was almost sure if she presented her hand to the men standing guard they would flee like the cowards they really were.

The mark was so feared by society that anyone who had seen it in the past had been instantly repelled regardless of their size and stature. It was a tell-tale symptom of a plague that had ravaged this land many years ago.

A disease that was highly contagious and had killed any person unfortunate enough to contract it. Her father was the first to catch it in her village, then her mother and somewhat inevitably, eventually she too had surrendered to the illness .

_I never gave in to it entirely. I never did. I should be dead. _

_Why didn't I die...why didn't I die with the rest of them? _

_Crawling along the floor. Coughing, spluttering black muck. Choking. I thought I was going to die. It was so warm...my head was going to explode, the blood, all that blood. I survived._

_ But then everyone was afraid of me. Believed I was a monster, a demon. _

_That I had cheated death, through dark magic? Blood magic? _

_Then I really felt dead. Closer to death than the plague had ever made me feel. _

_And like that ever since._

She pulled her glove upwards. Covering her shame once more. Today someone had not been afraid of her mark. Had barely released their grip on her wrist. Maybe these men would be the same? Maybe they wouldn't be afraid of her either.

The pirates were watching her now, eyebrows raised in suspicion. She had been stood at the gates for an awful long time.

_What if the ships already gone!?_ Korra thought last hope sailing off into the sunset. Suddenly all of her reservations and cautioun went out the window.

_I will do anything to get through here. Anything. She placed a gloved hand on the hilt of her dagger, eying up the first target..."HEYYYYY!" _

A firm, but friendly grip pulled her back from the brink a moment before she was about to pounce. The voice that had stopped her was incredibly warm and reassuring, like a breath of fresh air. It belonged to a stalky but well-built young man with coal black hair and glimmering green eyes.

He dropped his hand from her shoulder and into his pockets, he was dressed as though he had just came off a ship with dark black trousers, high brown boots and a faded green sleeveless top, a gold piece of jewellery in the shape of dragon hung around his neck. The smell of salt clung to him as though it was a physical part of his being.

_This is the first person to touch me in years who wasn't trying to kill or injury me_ Korra reflected as she tried to gauge what kind of person this stranger was and more importantly what he wanted from her. "That was a good throw, with the whip, you are stronger than you look." he smiled gleefully.

"Hah, thanks." _This is so weird. I can't remember the last time someone said anything nice to me._ Korra tried to smile back at the stranger but realized awkwardly that she has forgotten how to do it like a normal person. The only time she smiled was to piss someone else off who had been taunting her.

"Do you not know how to smile or something?" the boy laughed heartily before grinning widely in demonstration. She tried to mimic him, the feeling of stretching her lips and gums quickly becoming painful. _I'll need to practice that._ Korra resolved.

"Better. But it needs some work. I'm Bolin by the way." he said reassuringly, reaching out his hand.

"Korra." she responded slowly, quickly switching arms around so as not to shake with her marked hand. This person seemed nice enough, she didn't want to spoil things.

"Nice to meet you Korra. What brings you to this fine harbor and these fine gentlemen?" he said sarcastically, slyly pointing at the pirates guarding the gate. She paused for a little too long. Surprised at how quickly she had forgotten the whole reason she had came here.

"Passage. I'm suppose to be getting onto a ship to the 'Promise Land' today." she spoke, her voice starting to tremble. _I guess that won't be happening anymore. _Bolin seemed to read her mind quickly, placing his strong hands on her shoulders comfortingly.

"Hah, it seems like everyone is nowadays. It happens to be where my ship is heading today on it's might voyage, well me and my brothers ship. Actually its not really our ship but we are both in the crew on it."

Korra's eyes shot open at that. Suddenly she found herself grabbing Bolin's shoulder, thoughts of her scarred hand completely buried in the moment. "You are! I can't believe it! I lost my toll money, well actually some kid stole it, then I tried to steal it back from some prissy girl, but that didn't work. So i'm stuck outside this gate. Do you think you could get me in?!" she spoke breathlessly.

"Calm down, Korra. You tried to rob someone...?" he seemed to become distant after that, releasing his grip on her shoulders.

_He thinks I'm a monster too._

"I never hurt her. The prissy girl. Actually she ended up hurting me. I have never hurt anyone before."

"I swear." she stated resolutely. Pulling her knife from her belt. She was surprised that he didn't recoil at that. Most smart people would of.

"See." She said, holding the blade downwards so as to not appear threatening. "The blade is clean. I have never used. I only have it to protect myself." Bolin examined it carefully before responding. "Yeh. It looks like it. I don't think I've seen a knife in such good condition." he laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder again.

"Bolin's got you covered Korra. What ship is it you are suppose to be traveling on?" Korra did need to think about it. She had rehearsed it every night before she went to sleep. She responded instantly. "The Osprey."

The young mans green eyes seems to glimmer with excitement at that, his grin widening more than humanely possible. "Well today is your lucky day. You happen to be talking to an honorary and loyal member of 'The Ospreys' fine crew. And it is a fine crew. I'll get you through the gates."

Korra felt her heart skip a beat. She was really going to leave this place today. The reality of the situation suddenly making her feel faint.

_No, focus, Korra. Just a few more steps and you will be free. Focus._

"I can't believe it, thank you so much. You are my hero!" she said jumping to hug him, Bolin's cheeks reddened at that. "But how do you plan to get me through the gate without any toll money?" Bolin took a few seconds to recover from the hug and then pointed to a a tall, slender young man with messy hair stood at the other side of the gate, he seemed to have been watching their whole interaction with boredom and trepidation.

"That depressed looking teenager is my older bro, he is part of the crew as well. I'm sure he will be able to get the gate open for us."

Korra nodded to the man beyond the gates, but got no response. _Moody weirdo_ Bolin nudged Korra forward, so that they both stood in front of a particularly fierce looking pirate. "What do you two street rats want?" he barked gruffly, his tree-trunk like arms folded into his chest. Bolin stepped out as though about to give a dramatic performance.

"Good day fine sir. Myself and my companion are from the crew of 'The Osprey', would you be so kind as to open the gate and let us inside. My brother, Mako, he is standing right there. If you could just let as through we would be so grateful." he said with gravity and weight.

"No toll money no entry." he spat.

"But I just came through here. You have to let us in. We are suppose to be on a ship right now." That seemed to anger the pirate more. His arms beginning to ripple. Korra prepared herself for an attack.

"Bolin, step back!" Korra shouted but her warning fell on deaf ears as he continued to argue with the guard.

"Well now you are on dry land. And if you stupidly decide to keep on fighting with me I'm going to throw you over this wall and into the sea!" The pirate moved forward just slightly. The rest of the men around him also began to ready themselves, gripping the hilts of their blades and their pistols.

"You Sir. Are a blight on the good name of pirating! Now let me through this gate!" Bolin shouted, leaning into the pirates face. Korra placed a hand on her daggers handle and adjusted her stand, preparing herself to block the huge mans blade.

"Bolin get out of the way!" Korra roared as the pirate pulled out a heavy looking sword and began to swing downwards. _Too late._ The dark skinned teen threw herself at Bolin with all of her strength. The pair crashed into the dirt, the pirates blade crashing into the earth just inches away from them. She looked up in horror as the pirate raised his arm for another deadly swing.

This time there was no chance to escape.

Korra closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to cut into her flesh but it never came. Timidly she opened them again. Bolin's brother stood overhead, his hand grabbing the arm of the infuriated pirate, holding him steady. Bolin stood up wearily, pulling Korra back up with him. He nodded briefly to her before turning to face his brother.

"Everybody calm down. No one needs to get hurt here. Please excuse my brother. He is a complete idiot. I'm sorry for the trouble he has caused you. We, tw..,THREE, are from 'The Osprey.' We serve under Captain Lincoln. If you have a problem I suggest you bring it up with him." Mako stated ominously, releasing his grip of the pirates arm.

"You are part of Lincoln's crew?" the pirate stated, now slightly in a panic. The rest of the guards around him all in turn took a step back. _Why are they so afraid of this captain? What have I got myself into..._ Korra wondered, watching and waiting to see how the men where going to respond. Mako raised his arm upwards in unison with Bolin, the shape of a bird branded onto their skin. _Will I get one of them?_

The pirate examined their respective marks, before turning and nodding to the those around him. They instantly moved aside and fully opened the gates and Korra found her boots making contact with the wooden planks which made up the docks for the first time.

She gazed at the pirates around them, they all looked utterly terrified. _Now is a good time for smile practice_ Korra grinned as widely as she physically could for as long as possible, taunting and teasing the men who surrounded her. They looked like they wanted to cut her throat open at that moment, but were far too scared to move even an inch.

"Now, that's a smile!" Bolin laughed, patting Korra on the back.

"I had a good teacher." she giggled in response.

Mako kept a hand on his brothers shoulder but he never joined in. He looked emotionally exhausted.

"Don't every make me go through that again Bolin." he spat half-heartily.

"Hah, don't sweat it bro. I had the hold situation under control. You've just got to be the knight in shining armor don't you?!" he laughed again, this time slapping his brothers back. Mako didn't look particularly impressed by that.

"And who is this 'street-rat' you brought with you?" he said, looking briefly to Korra.

"She is a new member of our crew. She lost her toll money, well someone stole it. So she needed help to get into the docks." Mako nodded.

But he didn't look entirely convinced. He looked upwards as the mast and flag of 'The Osprey' came into view. Korra couldn't help but smile now. It was coming much more naturally with each second she spent in the brothers company.

At the sight of the ship Bolin ran ahead, seemingly desperate to get on board in case it went off without him. She shared his sentiment and was about to run after him when to her surprise Mako grabbed her shoulder.

_What does he want?_ Korra thought in confusion, looking into his amber eyes to try and read his mind.

"I didn't even catch your name. I'm guessing my brother has already told you mine." she nodded.

"Korra."

"Thank you, Korra."

he half smiled.

"For what?" she scratched her head in confusion.

He turned his head towards Bolin who was just about to ran up the gang plank and on-board the ship.

"For him." he said in relief.

"Oh." she replied. Still confused. _What exactly did I do?_

The crew of 'The Osprey' stood on its main deck, Korra found herself utterly fascinated by the shear variety of people on board and just how much they seemed to mingle and interact. She stood between Bolin and Mako as the Captain and Quartermaster stood in front of them, running through a long piece of paper and booming out different roles to the members of the crew before they cast off.

The Quartermaster had been elected already on behalf of the crew and took charge of proceedings, pointing to individuals and calling out a role before the person scuttled of to their tasks.

Captain Lincoln stood absolutely still, not uttering a word, his eyes scanning the misfits which stood before him. He didn't appear as menacing as Korra had thought he would be. He was no taller than Mako and didn't look any stronger than Bolin but there was a certain air about him. He carried authority as he walked, he commanded respect.

He was magnetic.

His eyes stopped on Korra and she felt her legs begin to tremble. His pupils searing into her soul. She tried to hold his gaze for as long as possible, he seemed to smile slightly at that before moving on.

Quartermaster Macmillan was much more friendly. Every time he looked at a person they seemed to automatically smile or nod. He too had the crews respect. Suddenly his finger pointed to Korra. She felt her heart jump and her blood pulsing in her ears. _What is he going to make me do?_

He smiled slightly as she stood firm. "Korra, is it? You will serve under the quartermaster. You will follow my orders and direction and come to me with any problems the crew may have. Please come and speak to me before we set sail." Korra nodded rapidly, serving the Quartermaster was a real honor and she would have a lot of influence in the running of the ship.

_Finally someone trusts me_ she smiled to herself, feeling Bolin place a proud hand on her shoulder.

"Korra, do you know how good that is? You might be able to get us some extra food portions and stuff!" he roared loudly. "Bolin. Stop trying to get Korra to do you favors, you already have a job as a canon operator and maintainer, I'm a rigger. We don't want to screw up her cushy job."

Mako responded wearily before turning away, "Speaking of, I best get off and sort out the sails with the other riggers before we set off, I'll speak to you guys later." he smiled, waving as he walked away to join other members of the crew. Quartermaster Macmillan was still calling out names, although there didn't seem to be many people left standing on the main deck.

"Asami. Where is our boatswain Asami?" he called out to deafening silence. "I'll see you later Korra." Bolin smiled before walking away towards the lower decks leaving the short-haired girl the only person left standing. Macmillan cast her a sympathetic look before motioning for her to come over after he had a word with the Captain. "You haven't met an Asami in the crew have you?

The Captain appointed her our boatswain, but she doesn't seem to be on board and we have to set sale soon." he seemed to be concerned. Korra racked her brains, trying to think of everyone she had met so far on the ship. She was sure there was no Asami on board. She would of remembered someone with a nice and unique name like that.

"Sorry sir, I don't think there is anyone on board with that name." "Call me Macmillan, Korra. I ain't no sir." he laughed. "It looks like we are stuck here then. The Captain seems to be determined that this girl is our boatswain. I've never met the girl, but the Captain seems certain of her technical abilities."

_No it has to be today. I have to get out of here. I need to convince him._

"Is there no one else who could be the ships boatswain?. There's a lot of experience here. What's the point in wasting money paying for the ship to sit in this booth when we could be on the open sea? Plus who knows how long it will take to find this Asami, it could be days, weeks even. The crew would not be happy." she stated resolutely. He seemed to be considering what she said deeply, leaning against the rails of the ship and taking in a deep breath.

"I'm not sure, I was an engineer on a ship in the past but the crew elected me their Quartermaster. I wouldn't have anytime to see to the maintenance of the ship." he replied sadly, looking up to the skies. "I could help you. I'm sure we could do it. I could take some of your roles as Quartermaster, and the rest of the crew could chip in with the maintenance of the boat." she replied enthusiastically

Macmillan pondered over this for sometime, before eventually nodding to himself. "You are right Korra, this crew is more than capable of running the ship itself. I will have a word with Lincoln...the Captain and we should be off soon." he said, smiling at Korra gratefully before walking up to the quarter deck to join the captain at the wheel. Korra watched them intensely from the barrier.

The Captain looked to be deeply frustrated and angry but after several minutes of wrangling he seemed to concede to his Quartermaster and bellowed the order to cast off.

Suddenly the ship seemed to come to life as the crew became extremely animated, running across the wooden decks and climbing up the rigging. She saw the anchor being pulled up from the bay below as the ship began to move slightly. _We are moving. We are really moving, I'm finally leaving this place!_

Some of the crew pulled the gang way up and onto the the deck, the ramp that attached the ship to the land now removed. Korra moved over to help them, feeling like she better contribute to something. The gangway was placed carefully on the deck, the dark skinned teen realizing she had been holding most of its weight._Stupid weaklings, pretending to be strong._ She looked up from the horizon to the crows nest and could see Mako racing about from landing to landing with incredible balance. He must of done this so many times.

Korra sprinted over to the railings as the ship really began to pick up speed, the city becoming more and more distance with each passing second. She looked down over the side of the ship, watching as it cut through the water with relative ease. She smiled to herself in disbelief. Only one old wooden platform was left running alongside the boat, they were nearly in the clear.

"Hey!" a voice cried out in the distance. Korra's didn't take her eyes off the horizon and ocean beyond, her ears filled with the sound of the waves as they crashed against the vessel.

"Stop!" the voice shouted, this time slightly more desperately. Korra continued to ignore it, utterly engrossed in the sea that lay before her. Some of the crew however were beginning to pay attention to the stranger.

"What the hell do think you are doing?! Stop the ship! I'm suppose to be on this ship!" the person shrieked. Those words brought Korra back.

_That voice. I know that voice. I really know that voice._

"I'm Asami! I'm your ships boatswain! If you don't want your ship to fall to pieces in the middle of the ocean then stop!" they roared. _Boatswain. She's the ships boatswain!_ "Stop the ship captain!" Korra shouted at the top of her lungs, spinning around to face the stranger. A black haired girl run alongside the ship at full speed but she was fast running out of platform.

Korra was sure she recognized the girl, but she was far to caught up in the moment to place her. "It's too late Korra, we can't stop at this speed!" she heard the Quartermaster yell in the distance.

Thinking quick on her feet Korra sprinted over to the gap in the railings where that gang way normally sat and locked her feet into the floor, making her stance as solid as possible and stretching out her arms as far as she physically could.

"JUMP!"

The girl looked up in horror but continued to pick up her speed, now at its maximum. Asami jumped with all her strength off of the platform upwards towards the ship, she felt herself flying over open water but it wasn't enough. She began to loose momentum and descend into the sea below, her limbs flailing in utter panic.

Suddenly a gloved hand grabbed her arm firmly pulling her upwards with an unexpected speed and strength. She crashed onto the ship with some force, lying flat on the wooden deck. Well actually, lying on another person. Her suicidal rescuer.

Korra lay still for a few seconds dazed and then desperately wriggled from underneath the woman she had saved. Her face turning a bright crimson. She rolled onto her back gasping, trying to catch her breath.

She eventually became aware that the whole crew were staring at them, grinning and laughing. Korra sat herself up, scratching where she had banged her head on the deck and trying to get her balance. She turned to check the black haired girl was okay.

"I am so, so sorry. I can't believe I nearly crushed you to death after you saved me from a watery grave." she uttered between rapid breaths. She seemed to be even more exhausted than Korra and her face was also a bold shade of red. _Is that from running or something else?_ Korra wondered as Asami extended her hand to pull her rescuer to her feet.

Korra sat still for a few seconds, trying to place the black haired woman's face as she took her hand timidly.

_I recognize that grip. Oh my god. It's the girl I tried to mug. Does she not recognize me? She doesn't seem to. Oh god._

Korra put on her best Bolin smile, trying to conceal the utter panic that was running through her head like a freight train. Causing her blood to pulse.

"I'm Asami, by the way. In case you didn't here me shouting it back there." she laughed, dusting herself off.

"Korra. Nice to meet you." she said through a wide grin, shaking Asami's hand a little too firmly.


	4. Ship of Secrets and Sabotage

'The Osprey' had been on the open sea for just over a week, it had been smooth sailing thus far with the weather for the most part having been unusually pleasant with favorable wind speeds. The crew of the ship were beginning to work together like a well oiled machine, with the new members in particular contributing significantly to the vessels running. Captain Lincoln and Quartermaster Macmillan stood on the forecastle deck carefully scanning the ocean ahead.

Sailing-master/navigator Kuvira stood at her Captain's side, her eyes absolutely focused on Macmillan as he discussed the days docking plans. She had a strong distaste for the man. He was far too casual and laid back for a Quartermaster, a man with far too much responsibility and dictatorial powers over 'The Osprey's' day to day operations. Such a person should not have so much power when so many lives were at stake. The sea may have been calm for the the time being but that could all change in an instant. Water could be incredibly unforgiving and cruel.

The crew had voted Macmillan as their Quartermaster and sole representative on the ship because he was friendly and amiable but that did not make him a suitable candidate for taking the decisions which could end or save their continued existence. Macmillan shielded his eyes from harsh sunlight that bounced off of the deep blue water. Captain Lincoln didn't seem to be remotely bothered by the blinding reflection and if he was being effected he certainly didn't show it.

"Bloody sun. Guess I should be grateful it isn't pissing it down." Macmillan smiled placing a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. The Captain seemed to flinch slightly at that, shaking his arm but it was never enough to remove the Quartermaster's hand.

"Yes, I suppose we should be. Kuvira, how long until we reach Octalong?" Captain Lincoln inquired.

"We should reach the merchant island in the next hour." Kuvira replied instantly.

"Good. Maintain our current speed, and inform the crew to prepare to make port within the hour. I want everyone on the main deck before we arrive. I have somethings I want to discuss with them before they get their boots on dry land again." Lincoln commanded, waving his hand to send Kuvira away to her duties. Kuvira nodded firmly and went off to inform the crew of their new orders.

She darted dark green eyes one last time at the Quartermaster who smiled back at her warmly. Saluting briefly with his hand.

"The crew have been working so hard since we set sail. I think they will be glad of a break at Octalong. I hear the place is good for your soul. Bunch of bullshit." Macmillan said cynically, shaking his head.

"None of that matters. Our stopping is not meant as a leisurely break. It is a vital chance to resupply for the rest of the voyage. I will be sure to make this clear to the rest of the crew, and you should too." Lincoln commanded. Macmillan nodded half heartily in response.

"Sure thing captain. But I should warn you, you don't want to piss of the crew. There is nothing in this world more dangerous than being stuck on a boat with people who hate you. Trust me I know." the Quartermaster advised heavily.

"I am very aware of that, Quartermaster. But you should know that a crew who doesn't respect and see you as the their leader is just as likely to overthrow you as the man who despises you." the captain responded rigidly.

"Regardless. I know your boatswain Asami is practically desperate for this pit-stop. She has all sorts of things planned to improve the speed and performance of the ship." he said warmly, turning to watch the young engineer working determinedly on the main sail. The Quarter Master's apprentice Korra stood several feet away, she looked to be extremely unnerved ever since Macmillan had assigned her to assist Asami in the maintenance of the ship.

Captain Lincoln seemed to instantly recoil at the mention of Asami's name. Why the Captain had appointed her his boatswain he had no idea, she was clearly a gifted mechanic but Lincoln couldn't seem to stand being in her presence for more that a few seconds. Why had he hired her if he hated her? He wasn't even sure how the two knew each other, but Asami didn't appear to show any of the same distaste for the Captain.

* * *

Korra shuffled uncomfortably on the same spot she had been stood on for hours, a bag full of tools slung over her shoulder. Her hands couldn't get any deeper into her pockets. She had a dirty bandage tied around her head from where she had banged it on the wooden deck when they had first left the land. Over the past few days she had made every possible effort to avoid Asami. This was proving to be increasingly difficult since the dark-haired girl seemed to insist on always being in her company. _Does she recognize me? Or is she trying to figure it out by constantly hanging around me like a ghost?_ Korra had told Mako and Bolin about her previous interaction with Asami, and they agreed to keep her secret. _They are good friends._

She was sure that she could of been friends with Asami too, if they didn't have the awkward history. Her heart had sunk when Quartermaster Macmillan had assigned her to help the engineer. _Is he playing some kind of prank on me? He's a nice guy but he's going to end up with a fat lip if tries to annoy me anymore._ Korra raged to herself quietly. Asami finished nailing something into the wood of the mast and turned around, seeming to notice the other girls unease.

"Are you alright Korra? You seem a bit tense." she inquired warmly, walking over to the teen with the blue bandanna.

"I'm good, thanks. Just feeling a bit dizzy from the sun and the...head wound." Korra grinned widely, trying to cover up her thoughts.

"I am so sorry about that. I don't think I will ever be able to thank you enough for what you did. If you are feeling tired you can take a break, I can finish the adjustments to the mast myself." Asami smiled, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder.

Korra jumped as though she had just received an electric shock.

"No, no. I'm fine, honest. We will be docking soon, I can relax then. Any other tools required?" Korra smiled again.

"Nope, just you." Asami laughed before turning to finish her work.

"I am not a tool!" Korra cried, raising her hand to slap Asami playfully on the shoulder but she stopped herself at the last moment. Her marked hand the source of her hesitance. _She saw the black spot. Well she saw it on the person who mugged her. Which I hope she hasn't realized was me. I'm so glad I covered my face._

"No I suppose not. You are a tool of sorts though. You are a great piece of equipment for carrying my tools." she said sarcastically, hammering a nail into the mail sail to secure it.

"Yeah I am." Korra smiled proudly, her protective barrier wavering slightly.

It came to her attention that she didn't really know much about Asami. How had she went from being employed by 'Future Industries' to working as a boatswain on a pirate ship only a few hours later? Clearly, the girl had a lot of secrets. Just like herself. As much as she had grown fond of Mako and Bolin, she didn't think telling them about her black mark was a good move, she had no idea how they would react. They may even throw her off the ship entirely if the rest of the crew found out. _Nothing worse than being stuck on a ship in the middle of the sea with a potential plague carrier, is there?_

She wanted to ask Asami why her work circumstances had changed so dramatically, to trust her more but that was impossible. If she knew that Korra had seen her at the 'Future Industries' building she would quickly realize she was staring into the face of her mugger._She is a really smart person. It wouldn't take her long at all to figure it out._

She hadn't mentioned her previous employment once either, maybe that was a secret in itself.

"Well that's good to go now. What do you say we go and see what Mako and Bolin are up to before we arrive?" she asked, wiping the sweat off her brow from working in the sun.

"Yeh...sure." Korra replied hesitantly, questions about Asami's past now swimming in her head. _It would be nice to just jump in the water and cool off, it's way too hot out here._

The crew of 'The Osprey' in all of their miscellaneous shapes and sizes stood to attention on the main deck of the ship as their Captain berated them on how he expected them all to behave whilst they were back on the land. Korra stood between Bolin and Asami, Bolin had gotten himself covered in some black muck from cleaning the canons below deck. "You need a bath before you set foot on the ground." Mako sneered playfully.

"I hate to point out the obvious to you big bro but what do you think we are floating on? One big bath. I'm going to take a swim and clean all of this junk off of me. You are perfectly welcome to join me for a deep cleanse Mako." Bolin joked.

"Bolin and Mako! Stop talking over your Captain or you can spend your time cleaning everyone elses clothes!" Captain Lincoln roared so loud that it seemed to ripple the sails and made the entire crew tremble. Both brothers looked as though they wanted the wooden deck to collapse below them.

"Here is what I am expecting from you all. This is not a day-trip. We have only stopped to resupply our gun powder and foot stocks. If you decide to act like an idiot and get yourself drunk on rum and god knows what else you will not be allowed back on this ship, and you will not receive any of your wages for this voyage." Lincoln looked briefly to the Quartermaster who gave him a concerned glance.

The Captain cleared his throat and visibly struggled with his next choice of words.

"By all means enjoy yourself. But make sure you do your jobs and get back on 'The Osprey', I will leave without you." he said sternly. The crew began to whisper amongst themselves. The Captain telling the crew to enjoy themselves? _The heat from sun must of gotten to him_ Korra thought as she watched him lift his pointed hat and wipe his forehead.

The Quartermaster moved from his position on the quarter deck as the crew began to dispel to their various duties moving with a new found urgency and sense of excitement. Korra smiled as Macmillan approached, he nodded in respect.

"So what are you four going to get up to?" he asked mischievously, raising his eyebrow. _Does he want us to do something?_

Mako and Bolin remained unusually quiet. They were either still shell-shocked from their bruising encounter with the Captain or were scared of the Quartermaster. Which seemed extremely unlikely. Impossible. Macmillan was an optimist, and he inspired optimism in everyone who worked around him. Korra was extremely grateful that he had chosen her as his apprentice and right-hand on the voyage. She had no idea what the dusty blonde haired man had seen her. She didn't exactly have a lot of experience at sea. He was encouraging and motivating, always trying to support every member of the crew no matter their job. He didn't seem to see a division or hierarchy on the boat, treating everyone equally. It was clear why the crew had elected them their Quartermaster.

Korra admired him greatly, hoping that people would one day treat her with the same respect that they showed Macmillan. He seemed really impressed by herself and Asami's work, and having been a boatswain himself he appeared to be the only person on board the ship who understood what on earth Asami was talking about when she went into full 'geek mode', speaking about the intricate workings of the ship and how it could be improved this way and that. The Quartermaster chose to agree with her on every occasion, evening giving the pair a considerable sum of money to buy the necessary materials when they docked to make the adjustments. _Its nice to have someone with so much faith in you_ Korra reflected.

It seemed like Macmillan, Bolin, Mako and Asami all had absolute faith in her one way or another even though they had only known her a few days. Granted she had saved two of their lives. However she had in both cases been the catalyst for what awful fate could have befallen them and had felt a deep seeded responsibility to help them in whatever way she could, even if it had meant risking her own life.

"Myself and Korra plan to go and buy those materials I listed for you. And I think Bolin wants a bath." Asami said casually, glancing towards the stalky young man.

Macmillan eyed the boy up and down before laughing. "Yeh, I can definitely see and smell that."

"Sorry sir, I'll definitely get cleaned up I swear." Bolin muttered quickly, looking pleadingly to his brother for a reprieve from the Quartermaster.

As per usual Mako stepped up, just like he had countless times in the past to cover for and protect his idiotic but loveable brother.

"I'll make sure of it sir. Bolin's still dirty because he's been working so hard on the maintenance of the canons, the other canon operators who are clean are lying to you if they say they have been working hard. No one who has put all of themselves into a project has ever come off of it squeaky clean." Mako declared resolutely.

That seemed to go down extremely well with the Quartermaster, who nodded furiously at his response, placing a hand on either of the brothers shoulders. Mako's declaration also seemed to resonate with Asami, her brown jacket was coated in a thin layer of saw-dust and oil from the days work. It wasn't any different for Korra, her skin was riddled with bruises and cuts from past battles and conflict. _All in a days work for a teen on the streets._ Her bruises were a morbid source of pride, they were a sign of all her strength, a symbol that she had suffered and endured. Now, on this ship, they were a reminder of what she had done to survive and get to the eden of wood and metal she now stood on.

"You two are fine young sailors. A privateer has to be strong but perhaps more importantly they must be able to read people. We are sailing on an ocean of liars. That's how pirates have managed to survive for so long. Everyone on board this ship has their own selfish motivations for being here regardless of what they say. Don't ever doubt that fact." Macmillan warned, his eyes panning to look towards Kuvira and the Captain stood at the wheel of the ship.

Korra noticed Asami shift on the spot after that remark, her boots making an unnerving clanking noise against the wood which seemed to fill the dark-skinned teens ears, filtering out the churning of the water against the ship and the chatter of the crew as they laid down the gang-way plank to bridge the gap between the boat and dry land. The banging sound seemed to synchronize with the beating of her own heart as she could feel her blood pressure rise steadily.

_What is Asami up to? Why is she really on board this ship?_

"I'll let you four get on with it then. Be careful on the island, the merchants will try to take advantage of you. At least try to look like you know what you are doing." the Quartermaster advised the teens before wandering off to his own private room.

"We'll see you two later yeh? Once you've bought what you need to. Me and Bolin are going to go for swim at the docks, the water here is far cleaner than the brown liquid back at the city." Mako smiled.

"Oh I'm totally going to dive-bomb off of the pier!" Bolin shouted at the top of his lungs, jumping on the spot.

"You are not. You would cause a tidal wave that would sink 'The Osprey'.

Mako teased, prodding his brothers muscular arm.

"I'll have you know my sizes means I will float along like a mighty galleon." Bolin retorted before turning to Asami.

"Hey Asami, you are good with boats and making stuff float, maybe you could help improve my buoyancy?" Bolin suggested seriously. All the engineer could do was laugh.

"I'm sure I'll get round to it eventually but maybe I should work on improving the actual ship whose 'floatablility' we all depend on for our continued existence?" she mocked playfully. Bolin nodded. "Of course. I'd rather you put your insane mind to that. Maybe when we actually get to the promise land you can do it."

"Yeh, if we ever actually get there." Asami said pessimistically.

"We will. I promise we will." Korra intervened reassuringly. _We have to get there. I've come so far. I'll tow the ship with my teeth if I have to._

Asami turned to Korra and smiled in appreciation. The teen with the blue bandanna was such a positive influence on the ship. She had a seemingly endless source of energy and resolve. She was absolutely determined to get to the 'Promise Land.' Korra's pledge was almost a guarantee that 'The Osprey would reach its destination. Asami couldn't do anything but believe her.

"See you numb-skulls later." Korra saluted slyly, raising a gloved arm for Asami to pass by onto the gang plank.

* * *

Asami walked as close to Korra's side as social protocol would allow. She had read about the island of Octalong in one of nautical history books her father had bought her as a gift. It was a popular port for trade and commerce, particularly with pirate ships. The empire had no control or influence here, although they had tried to overthrow it in the past. Keeping the island under their reign had proved impossible. It was too far away from the city and their main military assets for the government to get any kind of foothold. This really was outlaw country, the pirates were in charge here. The engineer wasn't sure whether this made the place more or less dangerous. She supposed it depended on the type of person you were. _Korra seems absolutely at ease here. I guess these are her kind of people._

The island was incredibly beautiful, with white sand beaches and palm trees as far as the eye could see. Most of the terrain was covered in foliage with the exception of the small stretch of land in front of the docks were most of the merchants stalls were situated. The buildings here looked to be of poor and cheap construction, she was sure they wouldn't survive a powerful storm. Yet here they stood and had been for decades. _It's just shoddy workmanship._

The huts seemed to be a mixture of an excessive amount of inns and taverns for the islands relatively small population, tragic looking houses for the permanent residents of the isle and merchant stalls selling a variety of items from building materials and every type of weapon under the sun from measly daggers to huge canons which Asami was sure could sink a ship with one blow. _Maybe we should get one for 'The Osprey'._

She watched as Korra's sapphire eyes scanned every person that passed them._I know those eyes from somewhere._The boatswain was very glad to have her company, she felt much safer with the muscular teen around. Particularly here in a place she knew was full of criminals and people who if they knew her true identity wouldn't hesitate to cut her throat. _Would Korra do the same if she knew the truth?_ she wondered anxiously, her eyes darting to the hilt of the girls dagger. _That knife is really familiar too. I'll need to get a proper look at it at some point. Maybe then I can finally place her._

Korra almost always appeared to be on edge around her, although she seemed to be relaxing more and more with each day that passed. The black haired girl wondered whether the nerves stemmed from their embarrassing first meeting on the deck of 'The Osprey' or from something much deeper. _I guess I could ask her._The girl posed so many questions and very few answers. Why did she insist on wearing those leather gloves day in and day out? Why did she carry a blade with appeared to have never been used? Where had she come from? What had she done in the city before she had become a pirate? Korra was a mystery Asami found herself determined to solve on the voyage.

On the other hand the hot-headed teen was not the only member of the crew who spawned a mesh of questions for the boatswain. They all had their secrets. In particular the Captain and his right hand Kuvira.

Asami had met and exchanged pleasantries with a lot of wealthy people in her lifetime and Kuvira had a certain air about that told the engineer that she had come from money and high society, it seemed preposterous that she had fallen so far from grace as to have ended up on a pirate ship. _Unless she is running away from someone, or something. There is no better place to hide from society than a boat where no one cares who you are._

However it was the Captain who worried her the most. She was sure that he was the man that her father Hiroshi had made a deal with to get her on board the ship in the first place. She wondered if that Captain actually knew that she was her fathers daughter, Asami Sato, or if her dad had simply passed her off as another one of his common workers. She hoped, prayed that it was the latter. That would make her continued safety much more likely. Captain Lincoln hadn't spoken to her once since she had crashed onto the ship, issuing instructions to her via Macmillan. He seemed to have a real distaste for her and she had absolutely no idea why. Even Korra, who didn't seem to be the most perceptive person, had noticed the way the Captain treated her. _She was ready to punch him yesterday._

Asami had managed to talk her out of it with some considerable effort and some distraction. It seemed like herself and Quartermaster Macmillan were the only people in the crew who could really calm Korra down when she got into one of her rages.

The other sailors eyed the pair with suspicion and confusion as they walked by, making passing remarks to each other. Korra met their jeers with piercing glares which made Asami laugh as she pulled out her list. They stopped when they reached a merchant selling building materials.

"So what junk do we need lady boatswain?" Korra inquired casually, scratching the bandage around her head. _'Lady boatswain?' I could get used to that._

"None of this is junk Korra, it's all useful one way or another. You just have to have the eye to look past some of the materials 'rustic charm'." she said sarcastically, running her hand across a large piece of cloth and stretching it to test its strength. _It's much stronger than the flimsy stuff the current sails are made from. It will make the boat much more resilient for when we hit rough weather._

" You need to stop stroking that sail likes its a dog. People are going to think you are weird." Korra joked. Asami punched her lightly on the arm in response.

"They don't think that already?" the girl laughed as she browsed through more of the merchants wears, she wanted to replace the wooden rudder with metal as well. Anything to make the ship less likely to sink during a storm. She knew that she would be blamed instantly if anything went wrong with structure of the boat.

"True, true. Anyone with a mind like yours is strange to these people who don't have a thought between them. Just blindly follow the orders of their Captain. A mind like that is dangerous too." Korra stated, picking up a piece of iron and flashing her eyes at the merchant in charge of the stall. He seemed to be growing tired of them touching all of his wears.

"I wouldn't say I'm dangerous, not like you and your knife. And that ridiculous strength of yours. I think I would be better replacing the rudder with you than this iron." Korra didn't seem to like that, looking briefly to her blade, but pretended not to care._Why is she so weird about her knife, you'd think a pirate would like to be called dangerous._

"As much as a like the water I'd rather not be stuck in it for the rest of our voyage. I would of swam to the 'Promise Land' otherwise." Korra smiled, thoughts of water streaming through her head. Asami nodded at that, exchanging money with the merchant when she had finally decided on the right materials. "I'll send someone from the ship to collect the goods later" she said to the merchant who grunted in response. _What a delightful man._ Korra grunted back sarcastically, mocking a salute to him before pulling Asami away from the stall.

"You know I could of carried all of that." Korra stated. _Yeh right._ "You are crazy strong but I seriously doubt that." she laughed in response. "Are you going to go for a swim with Mako and Bolin then?" Asami inquired.

"Yeh, I can't wait. But are you not going to join us?" she asked in confusion, there was a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"Afraid not. I'll need to make preparations for those adjustments right away if I don't want to delay our castoff or the Captain will hate me even more than he already does." Asami responded sadly.

"I swear if that guy annoys you tell me or Macmillan, I will beat his stern, smug face in." Korra spat, clenching her gloved fist.

"I appreciate the offer of violence on my behalf but I can take care of myself. I've dealt with plenty of muggers and low lives in the past, plus I would rather not get you or the Quartermaster thrown off of the ship by Kuvira for my sake." she replied seriously. Suddenly Korra froze on the spot, not daring to face Asami.

"Are you okay?" Asami asked in concern, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder. The loud-mouthed teen shook her hand off instantly, walking several paces ahead of the engineer. _What exactly did I say?_

"I'm fine. Go back to the 'The Osprey.' I'm going to go and find Mako and Bolin. I'll see you later." Korra bellowed quickly before running off in the opposite direction, leaving Asami dazed and confused in the middle of the dirt road.

_Okay. Now that's some deja vu right there. That view, this scenario. It's way too familiar now to be coincidence._

Asami watched her until she disappeared out of sight. Her head thudding, heart pumping and her mind racing wildly as she tried to make sense of her conflicted thoughts. Suddenly the enigma that was Korra smacked her squarely in the face with terrific force.

_Those blue eyes, that knife. The mannerisms. Those gloves. Her outlandish reaction just now. Of course, the answer has been staring me in the face this whole time, I just did everything possible to deny the truth._

_Korra is the girl who tried to mug me. The girl with the black mark._

* * *

Spending time swimming with Mako and Bolin had been a great way to relax and cool off after things had become so heated between herself and Asami. It didn't stop her feeling extremely guilty having left the engineer on her own in the middle of the road without any words. None that made sense anyway. She was surprised at how skilled she was at swimming after all of these years. The last time she had done it was before her parents had died. _How can it feel like a lifetime ago at the same time as being a fresh as though it happened yesterday?_ Korra wondered as she trudged back to the ship with the two brothers.

Her clothes still felt extremely damp from the swim as well has her hair but she was sure it would dry quickly from the heat of the sun. Bolin, at least was clean now and ready for another days work with the canons and getting himself just as dirty again. The two brothers had been confused as to why Korra insisted on keeping her gloves on whilst they had been in the water but they didn't pry any further when they realized she was extremely uncomfortable with their lines of inquiry. She loved them for that and found herself becoming extremely grateful for their presence in her life. She was so glad she had met them, even if it had been a bumpy and somewhat life endangering encounter which had brought them together.

Korra lay with her hands behind her head in her respective hammock in the crew quarters. Bolin and Mako were sound asleep in the beds beside her, she was glad neither of the brothers snored. The crew quarters were always deathly quiet at this time of night, she could hear some people still walking about on the decks above her. Everyone in here was always exhausted from a hard days work, and most of them fell asleep instantly, normally she would of been one of them, but not tonight. The guilt at how she had spoken to Asami earlier ate away at her, she had felt too embarrassed to speak to her when they had gotten back to the ship.

The engineer seemed preoccupied with her work anyway, she was hanging from the stern when they had arrived back at 'The Osprey', hard at work replacing the rudder of the boat with the iron she had purchased earlier. Korra had spoken briefly to Macmillan before she had went to bed, he had clocked on to the unusual way his apprentice had been behaving and had asked if she was feeling okay. She appreciated the concern but had brushed it off instantly, desperate to put most of this day to rest.

The gentle sway of the ship as it cut through the water was deeply comforting and the boat was definitely slicing through the sea much more smoothly with the adjustments Asami had made during the day. The engineer really knew what she was doing. Eventually the smooth motion lulled Korra into sleep as she blocked out the world around her and focused her mind entirely on the sound of the ocean as it flowed.

Suddenly Korra was thrown violently from her hammock and onto the floor as the ship came to an abrupt and jarring halt. The sound of metal and wood grinding and cracking pulsed through the air as the startled teen tried to pull herself up off of the deck. Panic began to set in as the rest of the crew around her started to rouse from their unwelcome awakening. Bolin and Mako lay on the floor beside her, shaking themselves off and scratching their heads. Korra managed to pull herself to her feet, struggling to keep her balance as the ship continued to sway viciously from side to side throwing barrels of rum, chests full of materials and people across the crew quarters.

_Are we sinking?_ she panicked, looking for any sign of water seeping into the ship. The rest of the crew were shouting amongst themselves, arguing with each other and helping to pick some people up who had been knocked unconscious from the impact. "Are you two okay?" Korra asked, her voice trembling from adrenalin and fear. She stretched out her hands to pull the brothers up from the ground.

"Thanks Korra." Mako said. Bolin seemed to be even more terrified than herself.

"What the heck is going on out there? Have we crashed? Are we under attack?!" he shrieked, his head darting to and fro.

"It's okay Bolin. Calm down." Mako assured him.

"I have no idea whats happening but we don't seem to be flooding yet, we best get up to the main deck to find out." Korra responded with as much conviction as she should gather looking towards the stairs that led to upper floor of the ship.

She waved her hand into the air to get the rest of the startled and half asleep crews attention.

"Stop running around like idiots and follow me. We need to get up the stairs to see whats happening up there." she commanded.

"I don't know what we will find once we reach the top but have you're weapons at the ready!" she shouted, pulling her dagger out of her belt. To her surprise and pride she found that the crew actually listened to her just like they did with Macmillan and the Captain. She led them upwards until they reached the top of the stairs , pushing the wooden door up to the main deck open cautiously with some help from Mako, always maintaining a tight grip on her dagger. She sensed that this time she may have to use it.

Mako nodded to her, a pistol cocked in his hand. The two forced the door upwards with all of their strength so that it slammed loudly against the wooden deck and sprung upwards into the night, brandishing their weapons. The rest of the crew swarmed up behind them until they were all standing on the main deck illuminated by the full moon over-head. Korra scanned the decks around them but could see no indication that they were being boarded, the ship had definitely stopped moving however. The main sail looked to be badly damaged from the impact. _What is going on here?!_ she thought anxiously, swinging her dagger in front of her.

Suddenly Quartermaster Macmillan came charging down the steps of the quarter deck, his face flush with a mixture of anger and relief at seeing his apprentice was okay. He moved to stand in front of the crew Korra had gathered on the deck.

"Listen up! Someone in this crew has sabotaged our ship! Someone here doesn't want us to reach 'The Promise Land!" the people gathered gasped and bickered amongst themselves, eying up potential candidates with suspicion. Korra felt instantly uncomfortable at how many found her as their target.

"When I find out who on board endangered all of our lives be in no doubt that I will execute them myself!" he roared.

"If you know who it is then turn them in and I will show you mercy, I will find out exactly who is responsible, so if you want to live a little longer I strongly suggest you come forward!" he boomed. Korra had never seen him so angry.

The figures of Captain Lincoln and Kuvira came into view on the quarterdeck above, Korra's stomach began to churn violently.

"Macmillan! Stop your shouting, as well as the rest of you. I know exactly who is responsible for damaging our ship." Lincoln stated firmly, waving his hand towards Kuvira. She nodded in response stepping forward into the moonlight.

_No. No it can't be. Why would she!?_

Asami stood beside Kuvira, her hands in chains, there was a deep gash on her cheek that the Captain had dealt her after she had been apprehended.

"Our boatswain committed this crime. She betrayed you all. For what purpose I do not know yet but I assure I will find out." he said calmly.

"Kuvira, take her down to the brig whilst I decide what to do with her. Make sure she is guarded." he commanded. Kuvira nodded quickly in response, shoving Asami forward and forcing her down the stairs to the lower decks.

Korra rushed forward, sprinting up past the Quartermaster's reach towards the Captain. She pointed her dagger towards his throat, her hand shaking furiously.

The Captain stood motionless. Barely acknowledging her presence.

"You bastard! You have had it out for Asami ever since she came onto the ship, you set her up!" Korra boomed.

"Stand down Korra. I will not hesitate to throw you over board." he replied emotionless.

She brought her dagger even closer to his neck so that grazed the skin. He didn't even flinch.

"Go ahead and try! Bring Asami back up onto the deck now or I will cut your throat open!" she shrieked, trying to control her hand.

Just as Korra was about to swing she felt strong hands wrench her back, knocking the glimmering blade from her hand.

It was Macmillan.

"Korra, listen to me. We will investigate this, I swear but right now you need to calm down. Asami will be treated fairly, I assure you. Now step away before you make this any worse." he said with conviction. She trusted him. She really did. She lowered her hands in response.

"Good, now go and stand with the rest of the crew. I'm afraid you will be confined to the lower deck for the time being." he said, pointing to Mako and Bolin who made there way over hesitantly.

"Take Korra away please. I need to speak with the Captain, the rest of you get to work in fixing that sail, and someone fetch me Asami's possessions. Be on your guard, we don't yet know why someone would try to stop the ship. There could be an enemy vessel near by." the Quartermaster commanded before turning to speak to the Captain.

Korra could barely feel anything as she felt herself being pulled away my Mako and Bolin. She felt physically and emotionally exhausted, struggling to stay on her feet. She took one last glance at the entrance which led to the brig located in the deepest recesses of the ship before being taken into the darkness herself.

_I will find out who really did this, and when I do Lincoln is going to wish he threw me into the sea when he had the chance. I swear. I'll get you back._


	5. Storm Brewing

The sensation of the ship swaying and heaving in the water as waves buffeted against the bow was much more apparent than usual. The unnerving motion was only being further amplified by the fact that 'The Osprey' offered little or no resistance to the oceans crushing and immortal strength.

They were stuck. All of the vessels ability to steer had been completely lost with the damage the new rudder had taken when they had ground to a halt in the middle of the night. The ship was completely at the mercy of the sea. The shifting had become so violent as the night had progressed that it would of been impossible to ignore it at any level of 'The Osprey'.

Unfortunately the cargo hold, on the lowest floor, bore the brunt of the bad weather, every wave that crunched against the wood rattled through Korra's body. Her bones trembled and ached from the damp and cold of the dirty deck she had sat on for hours. The light down here was limited to a single candle so that the barrels of rum and other food stuff cast harsh silhouettes which danced around the walls making the blue-eyed teens head spin. _Or maybe that's from my lack of energy_

Sleep had proved impossible as a result of two factors. The incessant movement of the ocean prevented her from ever drifting off entirely, she suspected that was the case for everyone else in the crew too. They would definitely not be happy about that. Korra smirked slightly at the idea of the Captain and Kuvira frantically trying to calm everyone down and appease them. Trying to quell the storm encroaching on the horizon and the one brewing on board the ship would be extremely difficult and dangerous.

However it wasn't the ocean or the gales that had kept her up all night. Thoughts of Asami and the Captain consumed her, made her blood boil. She couldn't explain it, couldn't even begin to fathom her reasoning but she was certain. She was absolutely sure with all of her heart that the engineer was not responsible for the sabotage of the ship. _It was Lincoln. It had to be the Captain. But what could he possibly have to gain from stopping the ship here?_ Korra's brains had been swimming with these questions all night but these thoughts were often overshadowed with worry.

She wondered what had become of Asami in the hours since she had watched her being dragged down to brig in chains, a large gash or her face. It had made her so angry, more angry than Korra thought she could possibly be. She had acted like a mad-man, a complete contrast to the person she had once been before she had boarded the ship. Life on the streets had made her calm, calculating and cold. The chestnut haired girl had never entered a situation without analyzing all of the potential dangers it presented rigorously. Last night, on the deck bathed in moonlight all of that had changed. _Why did I do that? I was so angry, I wanted to cut that smug Captain down where he stood._

Korra gasped at the sudden realization. _I have never came so close to killing someone._

Her actions had being dictated by emotion and not rational. She didn't regret what she had done. Macmillan had prevented that, had pulled her back from the path of no return. He had promised that Asami would be treated fairly and she believed him implicitly. It was why she had allowed herself to be taken to the lower decks by Mako and Bolin without resistance. _As long as the Quartermaster keeps his control over the crew then there is nothing the Captain can do about it, and Lincoln hasn't exactly been making many friends on this voyage._

She had entrusted Mako and Bolin with investigating who had been responsible for critically damaging the ship. She had to clear Asami's name. Captain Lincoln was an impossible man to read and she wasn't sure what actions he would take in the mean time. He seemed utterly convinced of Asami's guilt in the matter. It was highly likely that if the rest of the crew agreed on the engineers culpability then even the Quartermaster would be powerless to do anything. Korra was sure they would throw their new boatswain over-board if that happened. Loyalty was everything on a pirate-ship. When someone betrayed that loyalty they were unlikely to show any mercy.

If the brothers couldn't find what they needed to clear Asami in time then Korra had to give the Captain another reason for keeping her alive and as a member of the crew. _Focus Korra. Focus. This a good place to think._. The fierce-teen sat crossed legged on the floor, placing her hands together and closing her eyes, her mind tuning into the sound of the sea heaving outside, blocking out all exterior noise.

All of her soul converged with the water until they were one in the same. Salt and ice flowed through her veins, overwhelming all of her senses. She could feel the energy of the ocean as it raged in the distance, becoming fiercer and fiercer with each passing second, swallowing up everything in its path and dragging everything down into the sea-bed. She saw a swath of ships from tiny schooners to the mightiest Galleons being ripped apart viciously, wooden structures surrendering to the torrents strength. Thousands upon thousands of sailors from the affluent to the poor being thrown into the ocean and shredded into pieces. All of their hopes, dreams and aspirations scattered like ashes amongst the waves.

Korra's eyes thrust open, her blue bandanna drenched in sweat, her breathes ragged. She hauled herself up off of the deck towards the heavy door that had sealed her into cargo deck, pressing her ear up to the door to listen for any guard outside. She was certain that the Captain would of assigned his most loyal crew member, Kuvira, to monitor the girl who had threatened to kill her leader. The wood felt icy cold against her skin. She could hear someone pacing with heavy footsteps outside.

She had to get up onto the deck immediately if she had any chance to save 'The Osprey' and Asami. She braced herself to kick down the door onto of the guard the moment she heard them pass by, readying herself to fight whoever stood on the other side.

_Focus, Korra. I have to get Asami released, speak to the Macmillan. It's the only way to save us. A hurricane is heading straight for the boat._

* * *

Mako paced around the top of the rigging frantically, his mind going haywire. He ran his hand through messy black hair, it was even more knotted than usual from all the head scratching he had been doing during the night. He had never felt so conflicted in all of his life as he looked out towards the clear horizon from a considerable height. The wind was always noticeable from the top of the sails but the ship hadn't moved much since it had stopped late last night. He had tried the best he could to make repairs to the main mast with some convoluted and ridiculous technical instruction he had received from the Quartermaster. Needless to say he hadn't gotten anywhere with the repairs in several hours of hard work. He didn't know what he was doing. _This would be so much quicker with Asami's help_

He knew that the engineer was being held in the brig at the very bottom of the boat under guard. Quartermaster Macmillan had been a boatswain on a ship previously, but he didn't seem to have anytime to assist with the repairs the ship required, he seemed completely consumed in keeping the crew from trying to throw Asami overboard and stop the Captain from cutting her throat. _He promised Korra that Asami would be treated fairly. And Korra trusts him, trusts him more than any adult she had in her life_. Macmillan was utterly determined in finding out who had sabotaged the ship. Mako didn't believe that was the most important question. The reason why a member of the crew had deliberately stopped the ship in this particular location seemed like a much more pressing issue.

The amber eyed teen and his naive brother had resolved to investigate the incident on Korra's behalf, since she was also being held below deck for attacking the Captain. She had seemed absolutely certain that Asami had no involvement in what had happened and had implored Bolin and himself to find out the truth, prove that she was right. Thus far their investigation has been fruitless in removing the engineers guilt, if anything it had only muddied the waters more.

Mako's time on the streets had made him adept at lock-picking and getting into places that people didn't want others to find. He had put these skills to good use in the moments after Korra and been locked away and the chaotic aftermath of the whole incident on deck. The crew had been so busy obsessing over who they thought was the culprit and the dramatic confrontation they had just witnessed that they hadn't noticed Mako slip away from the crowd and into the shadows.

He had resolved to investigate both the Quartermaster and the Captain's private quarters as thoroughly as possible in the limited window of time he had before people would begin to notice his absence. Korra had been extremely adamant that it was Captain Lincoln who had been behind the whole catastrophe and had planned to frame the engineer for the incident the moment that she had stepped on board 'The Osprey.' Mako wasn't so sure. He couldn't possibly see what the Captain had to gain from making his own boat nonoperational and what benefits there were from having Asami blamed from it. Korra certainly couldn't answer those questions, she had simply pouted and frowned her brows, no part of her wanted to believe that her friend could be guilty. None of it made any sense.

However what Mako had found in either man's room had made for interesting reading to say the least. Documentation and papers whose content had shook him to the core. Everyone on board the ship was up to something. _Macmillan was telling the truth about everyone being here for their own selfish reasons, I just hadn't figured his out yet._

The Quartermaster had been playing a game for the whole voyage, manipulating the crew around him, getting their support and trust. _Especially Korra's..._ Mako was certain that it was Macmillan that had caused 'The Osprey' to crash. He had found maps in a sealed drawer in the man's bedroom, marked in bold was the location where the ship currently found itself stranded. _He planned it. He needed the ship to stop here, but why?_

That part of the puzzle remained illusive, but he was certain if the boat remained where it was he and the rest of the crew would soon find out.

It was the next piece of documents that had startled Mako even further, a tarnished piece of paper with a rough drawing of Asami printed onto it, every belief he had previously held about the black-haired girl shattered in an instant. _She is Asami Sato. The daughter of a wealthy industrialist back in the city, heir to a vast business empire. So why is she on this ship?_ The engineers technical prowess suddenly made sense, she would already have an abundance of experience working with ships and boats having been an integral part of 'Future Industries'. The Quartermaster had let Asami make changes to the ships rudder, which had been the main cause of the crash. _They must of been working together this whole time._

The Captain's assistant Kuvira also had a place in the folder, but she was presented in a different manner, with some newspaper clippings attached to the piece. She appeared to be a wanted woman on the run from the law for murdering a member of a wealthy and noble family back on the mainland. The empire were pursuing her for the crime and offering a considerable reward for her capture. Mako was sure that the crash and Kuvira's bounty were linked. The Quartermaster and Asami intended to hand her over, but they couldn't of even attempted her capture until they boarded this ship and set sail.

She was very close to the Captain, his shadow. The only venue where Macmillan would of been able to take the girl cleanly and with the least bloodshed would be the open sea where he could turn an entire band of men against the Captain by winning their hearts, and leave them with no choice but obey him with absolute loyalty. No one needed to die and himself and Asami would receive the substantial gold for their efforts.

That part still made no sense to him. _Why would Asami need to go bounty hunting for money, maybe she had a personal vendetta against Kuvira?_

Mako resolved to figure it all out eventually, but he was equally certain he would get no help from Korra or Bolin whatsoever if they knew he was planning to implicate Asami and the Quartermaster. Especially Korra. He couldn't tell them. Not without concrete evidence. For now he would continue to investigate unless his hand was forced.

He had placed the papers away carefully, clearing the room of his presence. He had wanted to take the documentation with him as evidence but he couldn't let the Quartermaster know he was onto him. _He thinks he is playing this game so well. I need to let him continue thinking he is doing so._

Mako watched as the Captain prowled around the deck below like an ant. He had showed no fear when he was attacked but he was starting to real frustration now. His second, Kuvira, stood a few meters away, her dark eyes always seemed to be searching for some kind of threat. What he had found in the Captain's room had also been surprising. He had equally been interested in Asami, but for entirely different reasons. A huge collection of documents regarding 'Future Industries' hierarchy and it's operations had been in a heavily locked container under the Captain's bed. It seemed that Asami's father Hiroshi had paid for his daughter to be appointed boatswain on 'The Osprey'. _But he hasn't written her full name. The Captain doesn't know who Asami actually is, and i'm guessing that Hiroshi doesn't want him to either._

Captain Lincoln also had a considerable amount of paperwork regarding the rebel workers movement, 'The Triad's, which had caused chaos in the city several years ago. He had scribbled notes about betrayal and back stabbing, of fires and underhanded deals regarding weaponry _Future Industries must of been involved then_. None of it made much sense at all, a bunch of scattered thoughts in drawer. The Captain seemed to have once been an employee of 'Future Industries' when he was the same age as Mako. Perhaps he had been involved in the production of weapons? _How did he end up here?_

It looked as though Lincoln had been obsessing over the rebels for sometime, although never having been a part of the movement. A note from his now deceased brother lay amongst the papers. It appeared that unlike 'The Osprey's Captain his sibling had been part of the uprising, a leader of sorts for his respective district and had been assassinated. _I wonder who killed him? Probably one of the imperials. Maybe that's why the Captains here. To escape. He never will though, not will all of this still in his bedroom to ponder over every night. He still seems to be investigating the death of his brother after all these years. That's an awful long time to hold a grudge. Maybe he feels guilty for working in an organization which somewhere down the line would of produced the bullet that took his siblings life? _

Suddenly he felt his heart freeze over. If it had been Bolin he would of done the same, he would of been desperate to find the someone responsible, even if it had taken the rest of his life. He shuddered at the thought of the person he would become if his brother had been taken from him. He didn't even need to think about it. His life was a worthwhile trade for his brothers. It always would be.

The door to where Korra had been confined wasn't guarded, Mako guessed that the Quartermaster had ordered that. He definitely seemed to put a lot of weight in the girls words, at least he appeared to. _Always manipulating people._ His time at the top of the mast had led to some reflection as he watched grey clouds float along in the distance. He had to tell Korra about the Quartermaster, the charming man seemed to be the most dangerous out of himself and Asami and he carried by far the most influence on the ship. Above even the Captain himself.

He had to warn her, for her own protection and safety.

The amber-eyed boy was sure that Korra would not believe him. He firmly expected her to punch him with her unnatural strength just for the mere suggestion that her surrogate father was playing her. He shuddered slowly as he paced outside the door, contemplating exactly how he would approach the conversation.

_If I told her the truth about Asami...oh she would kill me. She really would. That's for another time. The Quartermaster is the more pressing issue._

Mako raised his fist to knock on the wood lightly, not wishing to startle the person inside. He took a deep breath and swallowed, bringing his hand downwards until his knuckles made contact.

Suddenly the door was violently wrenched from its rusting hinges as the heavy object came crashing down on top of him, his vision filled with blackness as his head spun from the impact. He sensed a figure looming over him. _Korra...?_

* * *

The dark-skinned teen gasped in horror as she quickly came to realize what poor person she had just crushed beneath the heavy door, leaning down immediately to lift it away and free the victim trapped underneath. The wood gave way to Mako who stared up are with a terrified and slightly dazed expression. He didn't seem to be to badly injured but was certainly confused, she extended a gloved hand to the startled young man.

_What is he doing down here? Why was he pacing around outside? Has something happened to Asami?!_

"Mako, I'm so glad to see you! Sorry about the whole door kicking thing, that looked painful!" she shrieked in panic and embarrassment as she pulled him back onto his feet.

"Yeh. It certainly felt it. You have some crazy strength in your legs you know?" he replied meekly, dusting himself off and rubbing his head.

"And you have a crazy strong skull to have taken that impact, that was suppose to knock you out. Well not you, Kuvira. Or whoever was standing out there. You know what it doesn't matter" she fretted, feeling herself becoming distracted. _Asami. The storm._

"Mako. Before you say anything else I have some very important stuff that you need to hear." she stated firmly, wondering how on earth she would begin to explain the other worldly sensation she had just experienced moments ago.

He looked surprised by what Korra had said, as if she had read some of his deepest thoughts. He nodded slowly, his mouth open slightly in concern and worry.

"I would ask you why you are down here but I think that will have to wait, unless somethings happened to Asami?!" she said, her voice trembling slightly. He looked disturbed just by the mention of the engineer but he shook his head sincerely all the same. _Phew, I still have time._

"Good. We have a big problem, and I don't really know how to explain how I know this because I don't really understand any of it myself, but you have to trust me okay?" she babbled, trying to make some sense of her own words, avoid looking directly into Mako's eyes.

Once again he looked incredibly uncomfortable with what Korra was saying or maybe what she wasn't. She had no clue what was bothering him so much. She made a mental note to inquire about it later when she wasn't running around trying to save everyone's souls.

"I trust you Korra. You know I do, ever since you saved Bolin. I trust you with my life, will all of ours. Tell me what's wrong?" Mako said with a sudden firmness and unexpected warmth.

"There's a hurricane heading for the ship. It's going to rip us apart, it's going to be here soon, and if we don't get moving we are all going to drown. I know, I saw it. I saw it happen to hundreds of other crews just like ours in the past. It crept on them like a dark shadow and they had no time to react or flee. We do." she said, her brows creased slightly as she found herself confused by the absurdity of what she had just said.

_How can I know these things? The water. It feels like a part of me. The whole sea flowed through my veins._

Mako's eyes widened in fear as he grabbed Korra's arm. Whatever he had been thinking about before cast aside by the danger that now approached.

"I'm with you Korra, whatever you decide to do, but are you absolutely sure?" he said reassuringly.

_Am I?_

"I am Mako. I know it. I can feel it deep in my bones. And I know what we have to do to save ourselves."

"Bolin and I will do whatever you need, just tell me what your planning." Mako requested softly.

"We need to get out of the hurricane's path. We need to get moving, and we have the perfect person on board to do that job, the person everyone blames for whats going on right now." Korra declared.

Mako again seemed to shudder at the mention of the engineer but he pushed through despite whatever reservations he was having.

"Asami. I understand Korra. But we have to be smart about this, you have to speak to Captain Lincoln about freeing her. You can't start a mutiny" the young man advised.

"Lincoln!? You want me to talk to him after what he did? He's a liar. I was going to speak to Macmillan, he believes Asami is innocent and he trusts me. He will help us." Korra raged, her blue eyes blazing.

"Korra, I know you have faith in Macmillan but please hear me out this time. It has to be the Captain you speak to. Macmillan will not help you get this ship moving anytime soon. That is an absolute fact. The Captain is not without reason, if you tell him his ship is in danger he will act to save it, even if it means freeing Asami to succeed." Mako stated firmly.

_Why would Macmillan want us to be stuck?_

The fierce teen stood with her mouth gaping, desperate to protest but she resisted, returning Mako's faith in her.

_He accepted all that crazy water vision stuff. I have to show him the same respect._

"Okay, Mako. I'll speak to the Captain, but I need you and Bolin to go and secure Asami, make sure that no one in the crew can hurt her whilst I convince Lincoln to release her." Korra requested seriously. She had heard sailors gossiping about the sabotage outside her door throughout the night and it seemed that the majority had presumed the engineer guilty, she would have to convince them of the value of Asami's technical talent as well.

"We will Korra, I swear. But you have to be careful, don't approach the Captain with anywhere near the same speed you did last night or Kuvira will cut you down where you stand." Mako implored placing a hand on her shoulder.

Korra nodded in appreciation and respect. _He is absolutely right. If I want to talk to the Captain directly I can't be threatening or I won't get anywhere._

"You go ahead with Bolin and keep an eye on Asami, I will come down to the brig once I have managed to get Lincoln to agree with her release." Korra commanded resolutely, adjusting the blue bandanna on her head, tightening her worn-out leather belt and fastening the straps on her brown boots. Her hand glanced over the notch in the belt which had once held her dagger. _You won't need it, you are a more rational person without it._

"Are you sure you will be able to?" Mako asked in concern, his eyes glimmered with unease about a different problem entirely.

"Absolutely positive." Korra replied without hesitation

"Just remember to call him by his proper title, 'Captain Lincoln', and not Lincoln, or whatever cruel names you have created for him in your time in the cargo hold." the black-haired teen advised with a certain gravity, pulling his pistol out from his belt to check that it was operational.

"Right. Captain. Got it." Korra said, staring at the weapon. She wondered if she should bring a pistol with her as an insurance policy encase the Captain denied her request. Then she remembered how he had responded without emotion or fear when she had pointed a dagger at his throat. Threats of violence were not a way to make him concede to anything, perhaps the jeopardy 'The Osprey' faced would be enough to move him.

* * *

The brig was dark. It was the darkest place Asami could remember every being forced to endure. She had never felt so alone and terrified, not since her mother had died when she was a child. The engineer had been dragged back to that night in the blackness as she stared down at the dirt and grime on the floor of the deck, her hands chained to a wooden pillar. The metal made an excruciating rattling noise with the slightest movement so she made a conscious effort to stay as still as possible. That was proving to be incredible difficult in the bowels of the ship where every sway of the ocean was considerably amplified. She could hear the water pumps churning through the wall but the ship wouldn't be going in any particular direction if the rudder was damaged. _My rudder. My metal rudder. I fixed that thing with my own hands and some idiot went and tampered with it. And they blamed me?! The person who built it?_

She wasn't sure who would want to grind the ship to a halt in the middle of the ocean but she had her suspicions. Captain Lincoln's stern face stared at her through the gloom, taunting her. She wanted to believe it was him more than anything, he had detested and berated her from the moment she had landed on 'The Osprey' and it seemed highly likely that he would frame her for everything at all that went wrong with the vessels functioning.

The boatswain wasn't convinced though. She couldn't comprehend any reason why Lincoln would want to damage his own ship and he didn't seem to have the technical knowledge to be able to have rendered the rudder completely useless in such a short amount of time in the middle of the night. She couldn't think of anyone on board with such ability accept herself. _No wonder they all blamed me so quickly, I guess I would of too._

Though she wouldn't like to admit it, she had been scared when the Captain had come for her, his second Kuvira flanking him like a shadow. It had taken him no time at all to judge her guilty, coming for her as she made her way down to the crew quarters to sleep for the night. From the moment the ship had stopped he had hunted her down and when he quickly confronted the engineer on the stairs down to the lower deck he had wasted no time in disarming her. He took no risks, striking her fiercely across the cheek, the golden ring he wore on his finger cutting flesh at contact. The force of the punch had floored her instantly, she hadn't been prepared for his attack, hadn't expected him to be so forthright. Otherwise she might of been able to defend herself.

Now in the darkness she felt dried blood coat her face, the wound would become infected soon if she didn't clean it. She couldn't even touch her face to assess the full extent of the wound, her hands chained hands allowed for little movement. Asami stared out into the darkness, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. _I'm going to die. Whether it's down here in the darkness from infection or starvation, or publicly executed on the main deck for all the crew to see._ She wasn't sure at this moment in time which one she would prefer. The crew had stared at her with such hatred and resentment when she had been shoved into the moonlight that illuminated the deck for all of them to see.

Captain Lincoln had announced her guilt their and then with no evidence whatsoever to implicate her and they had all lapped it up. She would of expected that kind of blind obedience if it had been Quartermaster Macmillan that had said it, the man who had charmed them all with his warmth and kindness, but not the Captain. There were very few people on-board the ship who were wholly loyal to him yet they had swallowed his lie all the same.

_All of them except Korra. I never saw what she did but I heard what she had shouted, the whole crew did. She called the Captain a liar, and threatened to cut his throat. Why had she put herself in so much danger for me? Earlier she practically couldn't wait to get away when we had been buying materials and a few hours later she had been staking her life on my innocence?_

Asami shook her head viciously in confusion. Every time she thought she had figured Korra out the girl posed another question. She had intended to speak to her privately about the mugging and the black mark of the plague that scarred her hand but had never found the right moment, with Korra avoiding her at every opportunity when she had returned to the ship from her swim with Mako and Bolin. Now the catastrophe which had occurred last night had really thrown a spanner into the works.

She feared what had become of her friend after she had heard some of her guards discussing the confrontation that had taken place between the blue-bandanna teen and the Captain. Various versions of what had happened between the two had been spoken about with great interest outside of the heavy door over the passing hours. One claimed that Korra had slashed at Lincoln and that the Captain had disarmed her easily, stabbing the girl in the chest and throwing her body into the sea. The tale had terrified her but she didn't believe it could possibly be true for several reasons. _At least I hope. I don't know what I'd do if she had been murdered for my sake._

She knew that Korra was skilful with her blade, that was clear by the way she kept it clean and maintained it like a fine tool. The Captain wouldn't of been able to disarm her without taking some injury himself. The engineer firmly believed that if the dark-skinned teenager had wanted Lincoln dead then his blood would have been spilled on the deck that night, if she had slashed at him then the ship would now be without a leader. She was also equally certain that the Quartermaster would not have allowed anything dreadful to befall his apprentice. _He treats her like his own daughter._ Mako and Bolin had also been on the deck at the time and she had absolute faith that if Korra had been in mortal danger the two would of stepped up to defend her, regardless of their loyalty to the rest of the crew. _They are probably protecting her right now._

Asami felt some warmth from that. She knew that as long as the brothers and the Quartermaster were on board the ship then Korra would be safe.

The ship seemed to be rocking more violently now. The ocean was growing angrier with each second. What the engineer believed had happened came from her own logical thinking. _Korra did threaten the Captain but she had never injured him. Why she acted so irrationally still doesn't make much sense though. Getting herself into so much trouble, she normally thinks with her head. I wonder why she didn't then? Regardless, someone in the crew must have stopped her. Probably the Quartermaster who likely sent her down below deck for the time being to cool off and because he couldn't exactly let her walk freely for attacking the boats Captain._

Asami turned her head to look at the wall behind her through the damp and darkness. For all she knew Korra could be through that wall right now, sitting brooding over what happened on the deck and complaining about the Captain, cursing him every breath. She imagined that her brows would be welded above her light blue eyes as she pouted furiously at her misfortune that cute way she always did when she felt an injustice against her. _Cute? Did I really just use that word?_ the engineer wondered in confusion, the thought of Korra being childish and angsty causing her to smile and making the room feel slightly less dark and grim.

She turned towards the door again, wondering what chaos may still of been occurring above deck, she would be able to fix the rudder for them in no time at all. There was still iron left over on the deck from her work but she doubted that many of the crew would be happy to release her, even for a short period unless they absolutely had to.

The engineer listened carefully to the sound of the sea outside, waves battering against the wood, she was now certain that the weather was beginning to turn foul but to what extent she couldn't be sure. That would be a problem for a stagnant ship that could offer no real resistance to a storm. It could even be enough to sink it. Asami looked to her chains properly for the first time in the darkness, she hadn't had an immediate reason to leave this place until now. The chains didn't look to be particularly sturdy. They were old, rusted from the damp and salt that seeped into the boat in large quantities at this deep a level. She was certain that she could break them with the right force and movement.

_They won't come directly out from the wood of the pillar, that part is still fairly sturdy. But the links, this one in the middle looks to be pretty fragile and rusted. If I use my feet to hold the rest of chain that proceeds the weak link it should snap with a good, quick pull._

Asami pushed her legs up against the wooden pillar forcing the end of the chain downwards, then she bent her wrists, preparing herself to pull. In one swift and less than graceful movement she jerked backwards with all of her strength crashing flat on her back as the metal snapped much more easily than she had anticipated. Her wrists were still bound with the shackles but she was no longer attached to the wood and now free to move around the room. She raised her hand up to touch her face, dried blood dusting the tips of her fingers, the wound wasn't as large as she had feared and it didn't seem to be bleeding anymore.

The engineer move with poise and stealth towards the door, placing an ear against the wood as she debated whether to try and convince the guards to allow her to speak to the Captain in chains or to bust out of the room completely and face the consequences later. She listened carefully for a few minutes. There was definitely two people outside of the door but it was extremely difficult to distinguish what they were saying with the sound of the ocean at this level now somewhat deafening. The voices were faded but familiar, she could tell from their tone that the pair were on edge, they weren't arguing but they certainly weren't at ease either. _Maybe they are scared of the storm that's coming. Or already here. It might be enough for them to free me._

Asami spent some time contemplating exactly what to say to the two, knowing that she would have to raise her voice considerably to have any chance of been heard.

"Hey! You two out there! I have a serious problem in here!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Silence.

"You have to listen to me, this room is starting to flood, I think the ship is beginning to sink with this storm!" she roared, listening carefully for any response.

There was still no reply but she could hear the two talking to someone else in the crew who seemed to have just arrived, the sea still made it impossible to translate whatever was being said.

"Can you even hear me?! I'm your boatswain! If you want the ship you are standing on to survive you have to let me speak to the Captain immediately!"

Still nothing.

_I should just kick the door down._

"I'm not trying to trick you, okay! I'm trying to save you! I'll let you take me up to the Captain in chains if that's what it takes, I don't care! I'm not even armed, just open this door!" she shouted again, now preparing herself to kick it down and escape. Even if it just gave her chance to explain herself to her guards.

She heard foot steps approaching the door this time, keys turning in the metal lock at a painfully slow pace. The engineer stood in a combat stance just encase her jailors were less than welcoming but she wasn't sure what kind of damage she would be able to do with her hands still bound in close-quarters.

* * *

Korra moaned in frustration as Kuvira rifled through her many keys that gave her access to almost all areas of the ship. The young brunette found herself pacing on the spot, her eyes absolutely focused on the lock to the heavy door. Bolin kept a friendly hand on her shoulder, trying to keep the girls growing anger at bay for the time being. Mako looked to be equally on edge but for entirely different reasons.

"If you need to go to the bathroom then go away. I am trying to search through a lot of keys and the sound of your feet is making it incredibly difficult to concentrate." Kuvira complained as she fiddled with the lock.

"Just hurry it up! You saw those dark clouds in the distance, we don't have a lot of time here!" Korra retorted angrily. _She hasn't seen what I have. She doesn't understand._

"You are lucky the Captain even allowed this after what you two did last night!" she yelled with a hint of panic as she reached the final set of keys.

"Miss Kuvira, you know you should really label your keys right? That would make this key finding business an awful lot easier." Bolin advised expertly.

"Not a good time little bro. It's not like she has time to label them right now." Mako warned.

"True. True. You really are wise you know? A whole ocean of wisdom standing right beside me now." the green eyed young man replied eagerly, his hands gesturing to the other boy.

"If we don't get this door open we are all going to be in the ocean in the near future." Korra spat in anger, clenching her fists.

"I've got the key! Now shut up and let me get this!" Kuvira barked at the threesome, their mouths gaped open in silent protest. Korra's attention soon returned to the person behind the door.

She watched on in anticipation as the key slowly turned in the lock, intending to apologize immediately for how she had spoken and treated the engineer earlier. _I was such a terrible friend._ Finally the door made a large clicking noise and swung open slowly as Korra stepped in front of it. She still wasn't sure exactly what Kuvira would do, she was very on edge. The room inside was completely dark, she couldn't see anyone or anything.

Suddenly a black-haired figure leaped upon her, wrapping bound hands around the back of Korra's shoulders in a deep embrace. The engineers dirt covered head drooped across her right shoulder as she held the other girl close. Korra felt her skin tingle when warm breath drifted across her lower jaw as Asami breathed a sigh of relief. The blue bandanna teen's arms sat awkwardly in mid air as she tried to process the hug. _I didn't think anyone could be so happy to see me._ she smiled, her arms dropping under Asami's shoulders as she returned the hug with just as much relish. They stood like that for several seconds, savoring the moment until Korra remembered the audience watching her. Bolin and Mako were smirking mischievously and Kuvira just looked plain pissed off.

She released her grip on the engineer, who did the same after a slight delay. Korra examined the other girls face intently, gasping as she looked at the gash on Asami's cheek, she was briefly tempted to touch her hand against it but then quickly decided against it. Remembering the black mark on her hand, she wasn't sure if it was contagious anymore. The boatswain looked disappointed.

"Are you okay?" Korra asked with great concern.

"I'm fine, I'm great actually. Thank you, for what you did." Asami laughed in response.

Korra narrowed her brows in confusion. "That's good. Really good, because we need you, we need your help. I guess you already know, but there's a storm heading for the ship and we need to get moving. You are the only person on board who is smart enough to fix the rudder and I know we have material left over to do it. The Captain agreed to free you if you could repair the boat."

Mako stepped forward to intervene.

"Actually, Asami, the Captain didn't do anything. It was Korra that convinced him and organized all of this." he stated plainly, nodding his head to the other girl.

"Be that as it may, you should be grateful the Captain has allowed for this at all. Now get up to the top deck and fix the rudder, and don't try anything funny. I have my eye on you. I don't think your entirely innocent of what happened last night but you are required now." Kuvira interjected, unlocking Asami's shackles and motioning her hand towards the stairs.

Korra's stepped behind the black-haired girl protectively, keeping her eyes focused on both Kuvira and the young woman in front of her as they made their way upwards.

"It's time for you to prove to everyone on board that what you said before you came on this ship was true, that if you weren't on board the boat would fall to pieces in the middle of ocean. I'm sure you can do it." Korra stated with warmth and resolve, Asami turned and smiled briefly before her eyes steeled over.

_She is focused on the task at hand. Good. We all have to be if we want to survive. I'm not done with the Captain though. I will find out who sabotaged the ship and why._


	6. A Whole lot of caring

The sound of iron being hammered viciously in somewhat of a rush and panic was barely audible in the high gusts that were now battering 'The Osprey'. Each roar of the wind caused a surge of water to pour onto the main deck making walking near the rails incredibly treacherous. Most of the crew had experienced storms before but not one like this.

The air around the ship seemed to crackle with electricity and pressure as the dangerous weather system crept towards them relentlessly, utterly determined to swallow up anything in its path. Most of the pirates on board the ship had tied a rope around their waists and attached it to the main mast, which Asami had managed to restore into some kind of working order, something she would likely make improvements to once they were out of harms way. The crew used the rope to secure themselves to the deck as the boat swayed, making walking in a straight line impossible. It was the only thing preventing them from being thrown overboard into the ocean and certain death. As a result all of them had tied their respective ropes with a life and death vigor most had never experienced before.

However their had not been enough rope to secure everyone to the main mast, some of it had to be used for the repairs to the main sail and to create a pulley system to lower the ship's boatswain's down to the damaged rudder at the rear. Korra was one of those who had volunteered to go without the safety harness, she was swift on her feet and made sure to stay away from the edges of the boat, always keeping something she could cling onto when the vessel did rock close to hand. She stood by the Quartermaster as they watched Asami being lowered with the pulley system to the defunct rudder. Macmillan hadn't been himself since the engineer had been released from the brig on the Captain's orders. He had made barely any effort to assist in the repairs to the ship as the sky blackened around them, instead opting to take a back seat and letting Lincoln take charge. _I can't remember him every letting the Captain do as he pleased. I wonder what is bothering him so much?_

Korra had been certain the Quartermaster would of being doing everything he could of to help them get away from the hurricane. She wanted to slap across the head, snap him out of whatever was preventing him from thinking rationally and clouding his emotions._Is it something I have done? He didn't seem that pissed off with with me when I threatened the Captain. It has to be something else._ Korra turned away from him making her way cautiously across the deck towards Bolin, holding her arms up for some balance. Still, it didn't stop her from crashing into the Mizzen mast at the stern of the bow with a painful thud. Kuvira, who had also volunteered to go without a safety harness pulled the brown-haired girl to her feet. The two stared at each other in confusion and awkwardness.

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself." Korra stated, pushing Kuvira aside. "Yes. I can see that." Kuvira mocked "I don't care what you think about me or the Captain, all I am concerned about at this moment in time is getting this crew to safety and I need you on your feet to do that." the black-haired woman conceded.

If Korra wasn't too caught up in the impending doom that surrounded them she might of smiled at that or made a witty comment. Instead she nodded respectively and moved on, stumbling forward into the iron Bolin and other members of the crew were hammering together. Bolin reached up with powerful arms and prevented her from falling. "You are crazy. Do you know that? So crazy. Why did you volunteer not to take a harness your crazy girl." he rambled anxiously as he hammered in another nail. "Someone had to Bolin. I'm fine. Just focus on getting this rudder ready so we can get out of here before we all drown. I like water, but I'd rather not die in it." Korra joked, trying to calm the younger man down. He laughed nervously at that.

"You're right. You are always right despite the crazy part. This hunk of junk is pretty much ready to go. We will bring it over to you when it's done." he said with a jitter.

"Yeh. I am. Just make sure that it's as secure as possible, we don't want it crashing into the ocean when we lower it down for Asami. Then we would definitely be screwed." Korra shouted as she sprinted back up to the navigation deck, which was the highest on the ship. She kept a firm grip on the wooden rails which had becoming extremely difficult to hold. The blue-bandanna teen was very grateful for her leather gloves at this moment in time as she made small but firm steps towards the very back of the boat, watching as two of the crew stood beside the pulley system the engineer had cobbled together, keeping an eye on the tautness of the rope as 'The Osprey' continued lurching from side to side. _I've never seen the sky so black._

Korra flung herself forward at the last moment, the wooden rail at the back of the boat crashing into her ribs painfully but she clung on desperately regardless. Her blue eyes peered over the edge to the swarming torrent below, Asami dangled in mid air as she finished removing the old rudder and watched it drop into the ocean. _Let's hope that doesn't happen with the new one._ The brown-haired teen couldn't help but envy and admire the engineers calmness in the face of danger. She didn't seem to be at all effected or burdened by the storm that was brewing, or the amount of lives that depended on her success. Instead she was consumed by her work, a bag of tools tightly strapped to her back. The green-eyed girl looked up warmly as she smiled at Korra despite the chaos they were both in. _How can she smile at a time like this? Bolin was so wrong. I'm not the crazy one, she is._

The nervous teen tried to return the smile in defiance of her own emotions but instead ended up falling forcefully on her back as the boat rocked forward again, disappearing out of sight from the boatswain. She heard the other girl shout up into the wind from down below as one of the men at the pulley system helped Korra back to her feet and the rail.

"Korra!" Asami cried in alarm. "Korra! Are you alright?!" she shouted again when she received no response, wiping soaking black strands of hair from her eyes as she tried to see what had happened to the other girl.

The brown-haired girl reemerged, slightly dazed and embarrassed for having caused the engineer such distress, gripping the railing even more fiercely this time. _Maybe I should of taken one of the ropes._ She grinned widely over the edge, trying desperately to reassure the boatswain that she was absolutely fine, in spite of the throbbing ache she felt all over her spine. She would of waved then if her grip on the rail hadn't been so fragile. _You really excel at making a complete tool of yourself in front of her, don't you? You are just so damn smooth._

"I'm fine! Don't worry about me, focus on what you are doing. Bolin is coming over with the new rudder as I speak, did you get that?!" the girl roared over the gales. Asami took some time to comprehend what the other had said sound through the wind.

"Bolin. New rudder. Coming over now. Got it!" she shouted back up, watching Korra's arms shake from the strength of the wind.

The brunette nodded as she watched Asami pull some tools from the bag she had attached to her in preparation for a quick installation of the rudder. It took her no time at all to find what was required. Korra turned to look back down the ship towards the bow as the crew set to work moving the rudder. She spotted the Captain at the wheel of the vessel, barking some orders to his men as they worked up in the rigging and to those carrying the heavy pieces of iron, trying to inspire them to pick up the pace. _At least he seems to want us to move. I guess he can be a good Captain when he wants to be._ The girl raised her brows in surprise as she watched Lincoln move towards the group of sailors who were now clearly struggling with the weight of the metal object as well as keeping their balance on the slippery deck. The Captain went to stand beside Bolin, who was gritting his teeth with the strain, and took some off the cumbersome load off of the younger mans shoulders as he helped them to shift it.

Korra would of joined them but not having a harness would of made her more of a hindrance than a help. _Lincoln really wants to save us, just like his second Kuvira. Maybe I misjudged him._ she wondered as she watched, but the notion quickly fell apart as she remembered the gash that the man had inflicted on her friend. _But he did free her afterwards? No. He can't go about hitting people he doesn't like, people I like. I won't let him._

The rain was really coming down now as the gales picked up in speed, making it difficult to see let alone stand. Time was running short. She contemplated what drowning would feel like as she watched waves crash onto the deck with greater height and force. She didn't believe it would be too terrible, she was certain the symptoms she had felt from the black-death were much more painful. She had wanted to die then, to end the hurt. The water would never be able to inflict the same agony. _But it doesn't mean I want to die here either. I have something to live for now._

Finally the Captain and his men placed the new rudder down, tying it firmly to the other pulley system Asami had rigged together and lowering it downwards to the sea. Bolin wiped his damp brow, making his way over to Korra at the rails. "Now that was a work-out. I can't believe the Captain helped us." the young man remarked as he peered over the edge. The other girl didn't respond which prompted him to place a hand on her shoulder. "She's going to be okay, you know. You managed to bust yourself and her out of a pretty bad place. This has to succeed."

Korra kept her focus on the engineer below as she received the hanging rudder and began securing it to the stern of the boat. "I know. But it doesn't stop me worrying. I have to make sure she's safe. Just like Mako does for you." Bolin smiled warmly at that.

"Yeh, I can see that Korra. It's pretty obvious you care a lot more than you would ever admit, but even I didn't realize it was that much." he laughed to himself, hugging the other girl tightly. She wriggled free of his grip quickly.

"What are you talking about Bolin?" she said slightly in a panic, her cheeks turning red. Bolin smiled again and tilted Korra's head towards the engineer at work below. "You just compared the way that my brother protects me to the way you see Asami. I'd say that's a whole lot of caring right there. You are not as subtle as you think." he chuckled. The brown-haired girl would of forced his mouth shut at that time if her hands weren't riveted to the railing.

"I don't know what you are trying to imply but this really isn't the time or place." she retorted, not daring to look the young man in the eye. _That can never, ever happen. I'm a bad person. I'm wrong. And I've done bad things, to her and to other people._

"I understand. It's cool. Bolin is the best secret keeper on the seven seas. No contest. It's cute actually. But you are right, time to focus on the task at hand." he claimed with a certain relish before saluting and shaking Korra by the shoulders. She pretended to ignore him and continued to stare over-board. _It can't...can it?_

"How much longer Asami?!" the Captain belted as his large hat peered over the railings. There was only a two more nails to be drilled to secure the iron rudder in place. She set to work with the hammer on the first. "A few minutes maximum, Captain." she reported back as she continued to hammer, not daring to look down at the water now audibly swelling around her and growing angry with every moment. The engineer was certain that if she did she would be desperate to be pulled up immediately, the idea of drowning terrified her. Her hands were numb from the rain and the cold as she struggled to keep a grip on the hammer, icy fingers had fused together from the dampness. _Only a little longer. Then you can warm your hands with some fire. Heck, i'll shove them in a canon at this point._ Korra and Bolin stood at the railings above her, the messy haired boy appeared to be trying to cheer Korra up as he grinned widely, shaking her shoulders. The tanned teen stood absolutely unmoved staring downwards, her cheeks red from the cold wind. _I think she would appreciate a warm fire at this time too._

The second to last nail was finally secured and she allowed herself a small breath of relief but by no means a break. The gales were really buffeting her body now as she tried to maintain a grip on the rudder, not allowing herself to swing in the pulley system she had created. Asami pulled the final nail out from her bag, they were about the size of her hand in diameter and placed it firmly in the desired position before bringing the hammer forcefully against it. _One more. Hurry it up._ She found herself somehow able to tune out the noise of the ocean and the wind and focus on the ringing of metal against metal as the point of the nail began to pierce the wood of the ship. _It needs to go deeper._ The last thing the boatswain wanted was for the new rudder to come loose when they made a hasty retreat from the storm. Then they really could blame her for technical problems on the ship.

She continued hammering as the tapping rang out in her ears. She could feel the rudder become more and more secure as the nail burrowed itself into the wood of 'The Ospreys' stern. _Just one more tap and we will be good to go_ She brought the hammer back to her head for one more solid swing.

Suddenly a huge gust of wind took her by surprise as she lost grip of the hammer and rudder entirely and swung like a pendulum from side to side, kicking out to try and regain some control and avoiding smashing into the boat as it rocked. She watched helplessly as she heard the hammer plop as it hit the water below, lost forever. _It was just one more swing._

"Asami!" she heard Korra cry in the distance. She didn't have the energy to reply, instead focusing on grabbing the edge of the rudder as she swung past. Her numb hands making it even more difficult. Eventually her freezing fingers managed to grip the iron, halting her death swing. She breathed another sight of relief. _Now I have nothing to secure this nail with._ she grimaced, realizing most of her tools had befallen the same fate as the hammer.

"I'm fine!" she shouted up, her mind raced to find a solution to the nail problem. She looked up to the set of faces that peered over the rail in concern and alarm. "I just need something to finish hammering the rudder into place." she declared at the top her lungs. It took sometime before she received any response.

Korra's blue eyes shone through the rain a few meters above, her hand waving frantically in the air, a tool in her hand. "How about another hammer?!" the girl roared triumphantly. The engineer stretched out her arm, ready to catch the object when it fell. _I should of taken that one down here with me._ "That's perfect Korra, drop it down to me carefully." The other girl appeared to nod in acknowledgement before releasing the hammer slowly and dropping it as accurately as possible per instruction. Asami swung herself slightly to ensure she would make the catch. She felt her blood pressure instantly drop when the handle of the tool thudded into her hand, numb fingers gripping firmly.

The engineer turned up briefly to thank the other teen for the assistance only to be greeted with an empty space at Bolin's side, horror and shock etched across the young boys face as he stared down past her towards the black water below. Without warning a body plunged by Asami just out of reach. The boatswain watched on helplessly as the girl who had been on deck moments ago head passed by, her head colliding viciously with the metal of the new rudder, knocking her unconscious. _Korra._

The blue bandanna teen had been thrown overboard when she removed her hand from the railing, a sudden surge of water having caused her to lose her balance on the deck entirely. The rudder held firm despite it's collision with the bone. Asami searched the water below desperately for her friend but the lack of light and persistence of the wind blinded her vision.

"Korra! Korra! Are you down there!?" the engineer shouted as she scanned the sea.

"Asami, what's going on? Where is Korra?!" she heard Bolin shout in the distant. _I don't know. What can I do? Did I just get her killed_ Another voice joined in with the young man.

"Asami. Your priority is fixing the rudder. Get it done!" the Captain ordered. _Like hell it is._

"If you want to help Korra help yourself first, the sooner you fix the rudder the sooner you can search for Korra and get her to safety!" Lincoln reassured from above. _He's right. Damn, he's right. If I don't do this we will all die here._ She swung the hammer she had been tossed one last time with all of the strength she could muster as the final nail burrowed deep into the wood, at last securing the rudder in place. Now 'The Osprey' could be steered out of harm's way. "It's done. The rudder is ready. Now lower me down before we move or I _will_ tear it off again."

"Do as she says. Bolin, tell Kuvira to take the wheel and have the rest of the crew ready to move the ship at speed the moment I give the order." Lincoln commanded before taking a grip of the pulling mechanism and running it through his hands. Bolin stood for a few seconds, desperate to stay and help search for the other girl. Eventually he conceded after some eye darts from his Captain and ran off out of sight. Asami could feel herself gradually being lowered closer and closer to the sea, her heart racing as she realized how much control Lincoln now had over her fate. _The girl that tried to murder him and the one he believes damaged his ship. Will he let go of the rope?_ The Captain continued to maintain his grip, regardless of his personal feelings.

The engineer gasped as she saw brown-hair at the bottom of the boat, Korra's coat has snagged onto a splinter of wood at the stern of the ship. It was the only thing that had stopped her from being dragged into the sea and being lost entirely. It has saved her life, at least for the time being. "She's here Captain! On my word pull us back up!" she ordered resolutely as she reached out for her friend, wrenching her arms under Korra's shoulders until she had a firm grip. Asami couldn't help but grimace as she felt warm blood pour down her freezing arms, her boots now touching the swarming tide below. "Pull us up!" she barked in fear. To her surprise she instantly felt the pulley moving back upwards to the deck and safety. You watched Lincoln turn his head to bark orders to Kuvira as he maintained a grip on the pulley. Then her attention returned to the girl wrapped in her arms.

Korra had a horrific looking gash on her forehead that red liquid was gushing from. _It must of been from the rudder. My rudder. Oh god, I've killed her._ "Korra! Can you hear me?! It's Asami. You're going to be alright now. I promise. Just hold on, let me know you're alive...please?" she began to whisper. Nothing, not even a flicker of the eyes. _Is she dead?_ Suddenly the drowned pair were level with the deck again and being pulled bodily back on-board by the Captain and Mako. 'The Osprey' was also moving again, the fastest it could go in the opposite direction of the storm.

"What the hell happened?!" Mako asked in concern as he placed a hand on the engineers shoulder, leaning over to look at the soaked body that lay on the wood. "I...I don't know..." Asami said wearily, her hand pressed firmly against the wound on Korra's head. "We need to stop the bleeding, get her to the infirmary."

"Already on it." the Captain stated as he picked Korra up gently and cradled her limp body in his arms. Asami glared at him, grabbing his shoulder with a bloodied hand as he tried to move away. He looked at her somewhat sympathetically.

"I don't care what you think about me but I do care about my crew. I'm trying to help. You are welcome to join me whilst I take her to the infirmary. I have no desire to hurt Korra, otherwise I would of left her in the sea to drown."

Asami had no energy left so say anything, instead nodding meekly as she followed Lincoln below deck. "Mako, make sure that Kuvira keeps the ship at the speed. I will speak will the crew later when we are out of harms way." he commanded quickly before disappearing out of sight, the engineer trudging in disbelief behind him. The amber eyed boy opened his mouth to protest but eventually decided against it, nodding before dashing off to the wheel of the boat.

Asami watched Korra's bloodied and battered head in resting in the Captains arms as he laid her limp body onto a bed in the infirmary. The doctor on board the ship appeared almost immediately at their side, placing two fingers against the younger teens neck. "She has a weak pulse. We may be able to safe her yet but she needs to be taken out of these wet clothes or she will get hypothermia." he rasped as he untied the girl's blood-stained bandanna. _She's alive._ the engineer breathed slowly before quickly grabbing the doctors arm as he moved towards the brown-haired girls leather gloves. _The black mark. No one can see that. Lincoln would throw her off for sure, even if the Doctor advised him it wouldn't be contagious or a threat. Who knows. Maybe the doctor would see fit to get rid of a plague-victim anyway. I can't let anyone see it._ "You can't take those off. Alright. You can't. You don't need to and you won't." She said fiercely, moving to block the doctors access to his patient entirely.

The Captain watched on curiously before eventually intervening. "I wouldn't argue with her doctor. She seems absolutely determined her friend lives and if in her messed up head this girl stayed alive because of these gloves then so be it. Korra's life is her responsibility now. What happens to her is Asami's choice. I will not interfere." he said, before bowing slightly and making his way out of the room. The doctor continued to eye the engineer suspiciously but decided for his own well being to leave the gloves alone and focus on the wound on the girls head.

Asami flopped onto the floor beside the bed as the doctor worked, her legs caving in from the huge strain of the last 24 hours. She couldn't recall any day having being such a mixture of emotions in her entire life. She was utterly exhausted physically and mentally. _You are in way too deep, Sato. Do you even remember why you are going to the 'Promise Land' anymore?...Korra. You need to wake up, to live. I have to talk to you about the mugging and your mark. I can help you. I understand it better than anyone._


	7. Who we are Now

**Chapter 7 - Who we are now**

**Author Notes:**

**Thanks so much for all of the nice reviews and such that I have had thus far. This chapter has a pov section for Mako and Asami, and is slightly slowed down from previous ones. Which were a bit mental. I think you will still enjoy this one however, particularly when we go to the resident engineer. Have fun and as always reviews and suggestions will always help me to improve and what not. So leave some.  
**

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Sunshine on the horizon gave a much needed respite for the crew of 'The Osprey' after the havoc and chaos the storm had caused 2 days earlier. It had however left some permanent rifts between the different factions which had been formed on the voyage. The boat's engineer was still widely distrusted, this even after Asami had saved all of their lives by repairing the rudder and getting them away from danger. She was no longer a prisoner but was now constantly under the surveillance of Kuvira who seemed a little too enthusiastic about keeping someone as a virtual hostage.

It appeared that the Captain still didn't trust the black-haired girl teenager in the slightest, although he had shown her some leniency on the night of the hurricane. Mako guessed that was because Lincoln needed her desperately at that moment in time otherwise he would of been the leader of a doomed voyage. He was certain that the Captain's kindness had not stemmed from any warmth or concern for Asami's well-being. The documentation the amber-eyed teen had discovered in the man's private quarters confirmed that. _Future Industries helped the Empire to end the rebellion and as a direct result kill his brother. It's no wonder he hates Asami. She's a Sato. The daughter of the man I'm guessing he holds responsible for his brothers death._

The young rigger head pounded from the wealth of information he was being forced to conceal. He didn't trust Asami anymore than the Captain based on the other paper-work he had recovered. The Quartermaster and the engineer were working together to bring down the ship, for what purpose though remained ever illusive. Mako suspected the ship had been halted because Macmillan had planned for another vessel **to meet** up with him at the same coordinates, board the ship and take it's supplies for salvage. The authorities would never know what had happened, the sea buries all.

Still the engineers actions last night entirely contradicted the info he had dug up on her. She was Asami Sato, that was a fact but her reasons for being on board the vessel became more confusing by the minute. _She helped to get the boat moving again. Had risked her life for it. Why would she do that if she had only damaged it a few hours earlier?_ Mako moved high above the deck to the crow's nest, it was the quietest place on the ship and he needed time to think. The sunlight was especially beautiful from up here. The sound of the crew hard at work below was still audible but was no longer enough to interrupt his train of thoughts. _The way she looked at Korra when they took her to the infirmary. Maybe her plan has fallen a part because of that. The reason that she came onto the ship no longer a priority. She's hid her identity well, that's for sure. I think only the Quartermaster and the Captain have any clue who she really is._

He could just make out the distinctive shape of his brother pushing a heavy crate below. Bolin has been assigned to various tasks by the Quartermaster away from his usual duties with 'The Ospreys' canons. Mako had been desperate to confront Macmillan there and then, to stop him from making his sibling just another one of his many puppets, just the way he had already done with Korra. It took all of his strength to have not pointed his pistol at the dusty-blonde haired man's skull. He had to keep his cool. _The Quartermaster can not know I'm onto him._

The atmosphere had been particularly tense when he had found himself unfortunate enough to be stuck, alone with Macmillan in the infirmary when he had been visiting Korra earlier. At all other occasions when he found free-time to see his friend he was **greeted** by Asami whose eyes were incredibly bloodshot. She hadn't left the other girl's bedside since the night of the accident and Mako couldn't exactly blame her. The fierce-teen had fitted several times as a result of the injury to her head but had stubbornly clung onto life. The engineer had fallen asleep against the wall of the room. She was still sat upright.

The Quartermaster seemed to have been a regular visitor to the Korra's room. Each time the rigger had found him he did seem to be deeply effected by his apprentices condition. _He does seem to care about her on some level. Maybe he has got himself too involved with people on board as well._

Mako began to climb down from the crow's nest with a speed only possible from years of experience. Who could he possibly speak to about everything he knew? Earlier he had resolved to speak to Korra but that was no longer an option, at least not until she woke up. He had pondered briefly whether to steal the physical evidence he had found in Macmillan's cabin and bring it to the Captain or Kuvira. They had no love for the cunning Quartermaster either. The three of them were part of an exclusive group in the crew since everyone else had fallen for his charm. _Even Bolin won't shut up about the responsibility and respect that man has shown him._

_They are lot's of people like Macmillan on the street who eventually find their way into high society. Their charisma means people will believe anything they say, take them seriously. Most will never have to pay for anything and climb the social ladder with ease. I gotta give him credit, it's not easy, manipulating everyone around you and keeping up a pretense. I wonder what wealthy families our Quartermaster has wormed his way into, the Sato's for one. But who knows how many others. He has friends in high places._

Some of the crew were huddled around a crate of food that had been brought up from below deck eagerly discussing the events of the past few days. They had made make-shift seats from whatever they could get a hold of for their important 'meeting'. The smell of hot food wafting up his nostrils was incredibly tempting after laboring on the rigging for hours. He scanned the group carefully before approaching. A tangible divide had reared its ugly head after the storm whether people had paid any attention to it or not. The Quartermaster or the Captain. Macmillan had the numbers, Lincoln had the experience.

Mako realized quickly that he didn't belonged to any. He trusted neither of the men with his or his friends lives. _Maybe I should put my loyalty with the Captain. At least then I could have some influence on the ship, get a chance to show everyone Macmillan's true colors. The Captain and Kuvira could offer some sort protection...if I spoke to Kuvira about her bounty she'd have no choice but to listen to me. The rest of the crew would seek her out like a blood-hound if they knew just how much money was on that girl's head._

The men feasting on the freshly cooked food looked like they belonged to Macmillan, they were all noticeable young and as a result much more susceptible to the Quartermaster's manipulation. _They won't shut up about the damn storm._ Mako hadn't seen anything like it but it was over now, they had survived in one piece.

A pang of guilt filled him as he remembered the blood pouring from Korra's head when she had been dragged back onto the deck by Asami. It was the hot topic of conversation amongst many of the crew who had praised Korra a hero, as well as the Quartermaster. _All because she's his apprentice. That man had nothing to do with it._ Rumors had swarmed that Macmillan had given some of his own blood to help with the girl's recovery. Initially Mako had believed them to be entirely false but Asami had confirmed it when he had spoken to her in one of his many visits. _Maybe she's manipulating me too._

Kuvira stood idol beside the wheel of the ship. It was strange to see her without the Captain glued to her side. For once she didn't seem to be ordering anyone around either in her usual brutish fashion. Something must of been eating at her.

Mako dodged past Macmillan's men without drawing too much attention as he tried to approach Kuvira as casually as possible. No one could know what he was about to discuss with her, this was a conversation he had wanted to have with Korra, but right now the Captain's second was the smartest option. She immediately raised her brow suspiciously, frowning with unease, but she didn't move away somewhere else either. _Of course she'd be like this. The two of us haven't had a conversation which hasn't involved shouting or death threats._

To her credit Kuvira at least pretended to be happy to see him. She was trying to win over the crew. It wasn't exactly a convincing smile, very crooked and forced. _She'll need to get smiling lessons from Bolin if she wants to fool anyone. Or Macmillan._ The sudden comparison he had made between his beloved brother and the master manipulator made his stomach churn. _Bolin is as far away from that man a person can get._

"Mako." Kuvira nodded respectfully, although she never took her eye off of the crew eating below. _Maybe she is seeing the divide too?_

"Kuvira." he nodded, bending slightly lower than she had. _She'll like that. Someone acknowledging her authority. Keep it up._ Sure enough the stern young woman had the smallest hint of a grin. Barely visible to the naked eye.

"How can I help you? Is it about Korra?" she inquired, there was a definite edge of concern to her tone. Mako shook his head slowly before his eyes moved to watch the men eating at a ridiculously quick pace on the main deck. Their break would be over soon, there would be no privacy whatsoever to speak. The crows nest was the best place for secrecy. _Now how to approach this._

"Korra is on the road to recovery, thank you for asking though. However I do need your assistance. The crow's nest doesn't seem to be entirely stable on the Mizzen mast, I believe the storm may have damaged the fixings which hold it up. I was wondering if you would be able to come and inspect it...as the Captain's representative."

"Me? You realize I am no boatswain. My technical knowledge is fairly limited. Would Miss Asami not be a better candidate?" Kuvira suggested. She looked very confused. _Miss Sato would definitely not want to hear what I have to say._

"Well, I did think that but Quartermaster Macmillan has her very busy doing some urgent maintenance to the main sails, I'm not asking you to fix it. I just want your experienced opinion." he replied as politely as possible, making sure to highlight 'experienced'. Her eyes gleamed modestly at that.

"Yes, that does seem like something I should investigate." she declared. _Is she beginning to realize their are ulterior motives to this? I hope so. I have an awful lot to say and not much time to explain it._

The wooden wall of the infirmary was cold, mind numbingly cold. It didn't have quite the same dampness or darkness that the brig sported but it somehow managed to fill her with the same sense of dread and doom. Except in here, unlike her over night prison, she wasn't alone, although it did at times feel like. The ship's doctor checked in regularly with his patient, always wittering on about how he was much more used to treating scurvy than idiots fatally injuring themselves. He was a bitter old-crow.

She had wanted to punch him square in the nose when he had spat that rubbish. _It's only because of her risking her life like an 'idiot' that any of us are still here. My stupid idiot._ Her clothes were still coated in dry blood but she couldn't summon the energy to change them. There wouldn't be much point. Korra had been screaming in her sleep again during the night, it was enough to wake the whole crew up at times. The doctor loved to complain about that to. The engineer had held the other woman's gloved hand firmly when they occurred, there was no way to sleep through them. She worried about what dark thoughts had consumed her friends dreams. Was it nightmares of what had happened on the voyage thus far or trauma from her past? Asami guessed it was the latter. _At least she has stopped fitting, that was just too painful to watch._

The boatswain wasn't even sure Korra could feel or here anything. She had been virtually unresponsive over the past three days to any interaction. She hadn't even opened her eyes. That didn't stop Asami from trying to engage with her, spouting rubbish about her past, or why she was really on the ship. All of those confused feelings. It had been a relief to unburden herself of those things that had being swarming in her mind to someone. Even if that person hadn't listened to a word she had said. Silence could be healing in someways.

She was certain that Korra had a lot of things swimming around her head too. Things that she couldn't say for fear of ridicule and scorn. That black-mark of the plague, that scarred her hand, it was a medical marvel that she had survived the symptoms of the disease at all. The black spot was only the beginning, a harbinger of doom, enough to make everyone you love terrified of you. However it was the fever that killed you, if a person could get through that then they could in theory live on. Asami, had never heard of anyone having lived through the black-death. It killed everyone it touched, including her mother.

When the mark had first appeared it was the last time she had saw her mother alive. The next occasion the kindly woman was wrapped in linen, face covered, her body next to a pile of other unfortunate beings who had died of the same aliment. They had been burned together in an effort to kill the disease before it spread. The rich and poor had been all been effected. _Money gives you power and status but it can't protect you from death. Nothing can._

How Korra had survived the fatal symptoms of the plague was a conundrum to say the least. Asami was absolutely certain that the blue bandanna teen no longer carried it, the disease would of passed through her or killed her, with most people it did the latter. The black-mark would of remained however, it was a scar and nothing more. In the panic the illness had caused people had gotten confused and misinformed in their delirium. Rumors had spawned a falsehood that the black-spot that characterized the disease was also it's source and how it was spread. All of this was categorically wrong but scared people tended not to listen to reason. The richest in society were slightly better informed than the poorest on how the the disease was actually transmitted, but the stigma remained.

_I'm guessing Korra doesn't know any of this. Otherwise she wouldn't be so terrified of touching people. She thinks she's still a carrier of the plague after all these years._ It was hard to imagine the pain the younger girl must of experienced even after she had recovered from the disease. She must of been scorned by her community, shunned by everyone her whole life. That's why she wears those damn gloves all the time. So she wouldn't have to be chased out of another place she tries to make a life in. The Promise Land must be her last hope.

Asami lent against the wall as deeply as the surface allowed, she had placed her dirty jacket on the floor for some extra comfort - not that it offered much. The sleep deprivation was really beginning to set in as the engineer's eyes glazed over slightly and she began to slump. A few peaceful seconds past before she wrenched her eyes open again with her hands, delivering a soft blow to her forehead with her palm to inspire her mind into a more cognitive state. She couldn't fall asleep now. Anything could happen if she dozed off.

Apparently nothing had changed whatsoever in the precious few moments she had drifted away, Korra was still lying on the bed with her head bandaged up, her chest moving up and down steadily. She appeared to be stable now. _Maybe she will wake up soon._

She would need to speak to the Doctor about trying to wake the girl up, it couldn't be healthy for her to have been passed out for so long. Or maybe she should give her friend a chance to come back to life on her own. Asami was fast running out of patience and energy. She didn't think she would be able to take any more hours of stress before having a mental break.

A knock at the door brought her flooding back to reality.

_The doctor? Mako? Macmillan? Oh it could be anyone._

"Come in." she called, staggering up off the floor towards the the entrance, briefly looking at the patient wrapped in blankets as she passed. She pulled the door cautiously as it creaked open. There were very few people on board the ship that were worthy of her trust and she was acutely aware that a small minority still hated her guts. _Even after everything I did for them. Risking my life._

However, it was not the crew she had being trying to save when she had lowered herself towards the raging sea, it was for Korra.

The Quartermaster's intimidating figure filled the door frame. Black bags under his eyes gave away his exhaustion. _Is he as stressed out as me?_. Macmillan had been back and forth from the infirmary on a regularly basis to visit his apprentice. He had given a considerable amount of his blood to sustain the girl's vital functions. Something his body was clearing paying for now as he slithered in the room with none of his usual enthusiasm and positivity.

"Mac-Quartermaster. How can I help you?" She had picked up the bad habit of calling him his first name from Korra. The man was too tired to notice her slip-up. He took up residence on a wooden chair in the corner. His head in his hand's.

_He's making me nervous. Is something wrong?_

"Asami. I appreciate your reasons for spending so much time with my apprentice, but you are neglecting your duties as boatswain. The crew are not happy about it." he said bluntly. _Really? I don't think they are happy with anything I do, Sir._ The engineer wandered over to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll do whatever it is you want." she replied firmly. Macmillan's dull eyes widened in surprise and relief. He looked at her with a warmth she had only seen him show Korra.

"Really? And there was me preparing myself to have to drag and haul you out of here. Just when I thought I had all of this crew figured out." he chuckled. Asami half-heartily laughed back. He clearly appreciated not having to do any physical labor at the moment.

"No. You don't. I'll take care of any repairs, as long as you keep an eye on Korra on my behalf. I know that you care about her." she ordered as she made her way over to the bed. _That head dressing will need changing._ Macmillan nodded slowly in the corner. He seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Still, it didn't stop him from getting up and trudging with heavy boots to stand beside the engineer. He placed a reassuring hand on her arm.

She appreciated that immensely. No one had taken the time to offer her any real comfort the entire time she was down here. Bolin had made preliminary efforts, but jokes and comedy where not really what she had been needing. The Quartermaster at least acknowledged the pain she had endured at the hands of the Captain and the storm over the past few days. It was really nice for someone else on the boat to have her back.

"How is she anyway?" he inquired sincerely. _Good question. Excellent question. I have no idea. I'm not a doctor, I can fix a lot of things but not a person._

"She's okay. She's getting better. She'll be back running about the deck in no time at all." she said as convincingly as she her voice could manage, placing the back of her hand against Korra's head to check her temperature. _Warm. But not too much. A lot better actually._

"That's good. That's very good, I've missed having her around. She has a real passion and drive for the most minimal things. I can't remember ever meeting anyone quite like her in many years." he said with a hint of nostalgia and sadness. The boatswain couldn't help but wonder who else Macmillan was thinking of in that moment. His apprentice clearly possessed the qualities of someone who had been very dear to him the past.

"Yeah, a little too much at times. How many occasions have you seen her fall over or risk her life for the stupidest things? I suppose there's no point in trying to change her and honestly, I wouldn't really want to either." Asami replied guilty as she began to unwind the current, dirty bandage. The Quartermaster laughed at that.

"Well observed. She is a unique person in this world, someone who puts others before her own needs. There are not many people like that anymore." he said wearily before continuing. "The world is a harsh place, and I have let it corrupt me. I'm not the person I once was."

_Neither am I. I'm living a lie on this ship. No one even knows who I am. Asami Sato is so far away from me now. I can't even picture her._

It was hard to imagine the Quartermaster not having spent his entire life on the sea. He must of been young once too. With dreams, loves and hopes. She deeply considered what those were now as she removed the bandage by routine. The engineer recognized the internal dilemma's he was experiencing. She had felt them often herself. Something was tearing him a part inside. _Just like me. When did lying get so difficult?_

_When you started to care for the people you were lying to, idiot._

"She's is a unique person. Someone who took all the world threw at her and kicked it straight back." Asami replied _She's had a lot of that. More than most people._

"And all I've done is put her in danger."

Tears began to well up in her eyes again over her friend, her mother and everything else that was piling up on top her. The Quartermaster sensed her unease and embraced her comfortingly. Once her tears and trembling stopped he released her before turning back to face his apprentice.

"You can't let the crew see you like that. Now head up and make those repairs. Don't worry, I've got this covered." he said reassuringly. The engineer nodded slowly as she finished tying the fresh new bandage, lifting up Korra's head gently to gain better access for tightening the material in place. There was less blood on the rag than their had been in previous changes.

Abruptly, Macmillan began to shift excitedly beside her. She felt some movement under her hand as something stirred beneath her.

Blue eyes shot open suddenly in confusion and panic as the patient awakened. Those looks quickly transformed into intense warmth and joy as Asami's face came into sight. Korra grinned widely and beamed back at her as she began to push up off the bed. Her rise was prevented by the engineer who placed gentle but firm hands on her shoulders as she found herself back to a lying position. She pouted at that.

"Don't give me that look, you've only just woken up. It's best that you stay still for just now." the boatswain warned.

"That's exactly the point. I've been stuck like this for who knows how long, it's time for me to get up." Korra retorted in frustration.

"Three days. And Asami is right, you need to rest. You don't want to do yourself further injury." Macmillan interjected. Korra jumped at the sound of voice, it seemed she had even noticed the Quartermasters presence until he had spoken. She suddenly became reserved and dutiful.

"Quartermaster, Sir. I'm sorry. I should of been helping you, doing my job. Instead i've been lazing it up in bed." she apologized profusely.

Macmillan shook his head furiously at that before making his way towards the exit. "Don't be sorry. Just get better by staying put and listening to your friend. I'm going to go and send the doctor your way." he stopped at the door frame "Asami, I still require you to take a look at the sails. Please come up to the deck as soon at the doctor arrives." he commanded softly before leaving.

"Oh god." Korra grimaced as she became aware of the pain and thudding around her head. "That's not so good." she stated plainly.

"You really need to stop banging your head on my behalf, one of these times its going to come clean off." Asami joked although there was a hint of seriousness to her tone. Korra shifted to sit upright after pushing Asami's hands away.

"Don't worry. I'm not getting out of the bed. I'm just sick of lying down." she moaned.

"You really are a great tool." Asami mocked, fondly recalling the conversation they had shared back at the supply stop before everything had went so badly wrong.

"Well. I suppose I am. Did you see the way I repaired your rudder with my face?" she spat in a fit of giggles. It was hard not to admire how quickly the girl seemed to get over such a traumatic event and play it off as if it was nothing, it didn't stop Asami from feeling incredibly guilty. She couldn't even bring herself to laugh back.

Korra immediately noticed how unresponsive the black-haired girl became.

"I'm sorry for how I acted. And what I did. I didn't mean to put you through so much stress." she said anxiously. Asami turned to look at her intently.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I shouldn't of put you in a position where you had to risk your life. I owe you one - two - probably three actually." Asami muttered. Now it was Korra that became distant. _What did I say?_The brown-haired girl became increasingly even more uncomfortable.

"If there's something wrong you can tell me. You can trust me. Your secret's safe with me. I swear." she stated resolutely.

_Maybe I could of worded that better._

"I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone. I know that you said you would be able to keep it a secret - but you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't. It's just too dangerous for anyone but me to carry. It's my burden." she said, shifting on the bed with unease. Suddenly her eyes widened as she realized she was not wearing her own clothes. They were still damp from their dip in the ocean.

Asami watched on in concern as her friend fidgeted and scanned her new garments, tapping every inch of herself and then staring intensely at her hands in confusion and shock. Her leather gloves were still in place, concealing her mark.

_She's wondering why the rest of her outfit would be tossed away and those gloves would be excused._

The engineer place her fingers on Korra's marked hand lying on the bed and squeezed it firmly. She was surprised when Korra didn't flinch away from that contact. The tanned girl turned her head slowly to face the engineer. Pure terror engraved across her features as she came into view, her body trembling in place.

The green eyed girl woman never moved away. When the frightened girl finally spoke she croaked the words out from deep in her throat.

"You know?!"

Asami nodded slowly, never releasing a comforting grip on Korra's scarred hand. She smiled reassuringly, trying to convey all of her feelings in one look to calm the other young woman down. The fierce teen seemed extremely surprised at her friends reaction,staring her down with suspicion, eventually she returned the engineers grip cautiously and then with an unexpected urgency as tears were beginning to form in the corners of bright blue eyes.

"And I don't care about it. ANY of it. I know you now Korra, and I'm sure you had your reasons. Plus you did a pretty bad job of mugging me anyway." she winked slyly before continuing. "You don't ever need to worry about your past when your with me. Its who you are now that matters the most."

Suddenly the engineer was bowled over with some force narrowly avoiding falling off of the bed as Korra clung to her desperately, warm tears streaming down Asami's neck. She held the other girl's muscled back tightly when she eventually regained some composure. The crying teenager sounded like she was muttering "Thank you" between sobs but there was no way to be sure.

_Maybe I should take my own advice? Forget my own past and live in moment. No, Sato. I don't think that would ever be possible. Not now._


	8. Confrontation and Cuddles

Author Notes:

Well, this chapter ended up as an Asami only POV. But hey I think it works, enjoy and review as always. Just a heads up I have another korrasami story that I've just started posted. It's a canon compliant story set during the end of S4. Anyways. Enjoy the Korrasami feels.

* * *

Three weeks had past since the storm had caused so much chaos on the ship. Asami had made major improvements to the boats infrastructure in that time, the old sails had been replaced with a lighter but sturdy material which was less prone to tearing and caught the wind much more effectively than the old setup. The Promise land felt much closer now, especially with 'The Ospreys' vastly improved speed. A growing sense of excitement and anticipation was building on board, the boatswain herself feeling rather caught up in it despite the many reservations she had.

She had arranged to meet up with Korra in the crows nest for dinner. Both had found themselves very busy over the past few weeks but had tried to put time aside when ever they could just to sit and talk. Their conversations were never about anything in particular. Topics varied from the absolutely trivial to general bitching about other members of the crews bad habits, normally starting with the Captain or Kuvira. Occasionally Asami would accidentally move the discussions into the technical operation and structure of the ship, something she was certain her friend had no interest in.

The girl listened intently all the same despite her complete lack of understanding of what was being said. Smiling warmly and occasionally laughing. The engineer adored that. It was so nice to be listened to by someone. To be taken seriously. Korra was still reluctant to talk about her past, where she had come from, but Asami could sense she was slowly chipping down the wall the other teenager had taken so much time to build with each of the chats that they had.

The engineer had however, managed to at least assure her that the black-mark was no longer contagious to other people, that it never had been. Korra seemed to believe her although she was confused as to how the green eyed woman had so much knowledge and experience on the subject. Asami had decided to tell her a little of her past then, the death of her mother from the illness and her considerable research into the plague afterwards.

She had managed to also be vague enough to keep her wealthy and affluent background a secret. A huge part of her wanted to think that if she told Korra where she came from, the high social status of the Sato family, the business investigation her father had sent her on in the new land it would all end okay. _Would she still treat me the same? We are from two very different worlds._

Asami leant against one of the masts to catch her breath as some of the crew wandered past, several of them actually took the time to bow theirs head to her, she nodded back, trying to suppress smiling like a happy child. For the most part people on board now respected her or at the very least appreciated the difference her work had made to the day to day running of the boat.

Who treated her nicely also depended on which man that person had pledged loyalty to. _Those who stand with Lincoln-Captain Lincoln, damn it Korra. They still look on me with distrust and scorn, even Mako. He's not loyal to anyone but for some reason can't seem to stand being around me. Korra and Bolin both seem to be oblivious to that. _Asami pulled her increasingly dirty jacket tightly_. _The temperature really had dropped over the past few days_. At least Macmillan's crew treat me a little more warmly, although I'm guessing my closeness with Korra and her sway over the older man have helped that along. That didn't stop it from feeling nice, it was better to have some friends on board than be surrounded only by enemies._

The Quartermaster and his apprentice had been working together with Bolin on a variety of tasks around the ship throughout the day, Mako had been most displeased when the older man had called his younger brother over in the morning. Bolin's reaction couldn't of been further from his moody sibling. He was ecstatic at being given the opportunity to help around the boat and especially having been chosen by a man who was so respected by his fellow pirates. _He's hoping some of that will rub off on him. It already has with Korra, not that she doesn't deserve it with all the things she has done._ The engineer jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, her mind had zoned out more than she had realized. _If this is Lincoln or Kuvira I'm going to explode._

"Hey miss boatswain." a familiar voice mocked before spinning the engineer around to face them. _Is that what your calling me now? I'm not really sure whether I love it or hate it._

A smug face with a beaming smile greeted her. "Damn it Korra, do you always have to give me a heart attack every time you say hello?"

The other girl shrugged like an ignorant child.

"Sorry, sometimes I forget how little it takes to freak you out" she laughed before her gloved hands gestured towards a clean blue bandanna tied around her forehead. _It will be nice not to have a constant reminder of what my rudder did._

"Wow, a new bandanna? It's so good to see you without a dirty bandage up there. Blue water colors suit you much better than bloodied linen I have to say, matches your eyes." she teased before pulling the head band up slightly to view the head injury. Only a small red line remained. _It's a good change, to be able to touch her without the tool jumping 4ft in the air from fear._

"Yeh, it's great to have it back. It felt so weird not having it there for so long. It's an essential part of my outfit" she joked before continuing, her hands reaching down for something in her belt. "And that's not the only thing I got back today" she stated pulling out her gleaming knife, sapphire eyes glowing at the sight of her old friend.

"Where did you get that? You didn't steal it did you?" Asami asked in concern, the blade had been taken off of the fierce teen by the Captain weeks ago. Korra looked somewhat unimpressed.

"And there was me thinking you were smart. Why would I go to the effort of stealing something only to walk about with it on display for anyone to see. Doesn't make a lot of sense does it?" she lectured. _No. It really doesn't, that was a stupid question. Not that I will admit to that._

"I don't know Korra, you're a pretty lousy petty criminal. I bet your body is still hurting from that terrible attempt at mugging me back in the city." Asami retorted before beginning to climb up the ratlines to the crows nest. The brown-haired girl didn't follow, staring out towards the ocean. _Maybe I shouldn't of mentioned the mugging. She can be touchy about that._

She would be distracted by the sea at the most random times, completely switching off from whatever was happening and focusing on the waves entirely. She was absolutely fascinated by the water.

"Korra are you coming up here or not? I've got hot potatoes and stew in my bag that I will happily eat all to myself. I'm very hungry." the boatswain called down as she climbed. The other girls head flicked upwards from down below. A distant, glazed look quickly returning to her signature pout. _Yup. She's fine._

"You better not. You wouldn't like to see me hungry and angry." she threatened from below, stepping onto the rat-line ropes and moving upwards at speed.

"I don't know. It might be kind of fun to watch." Asami teased as she pulled herself into the wooden crows nest at the top of the mast, it was a narrow space, only big enough for three people maximum, like a large wooden barrel held in the air.

"It won't be if you're the target of my rage." she heard a voice call in the breeze. _I'm sure it would still be fun._ she considered as she laid out the boiled potatoes and hot onion stew that had been on the crews menu for the evening, cheap, filling and thankfully still piping hot from being stored in her tool bag.

Korra appeared a few seconds, not even slightly out of breath and threw herself inside nearly squashing the meal in the process. Only Asami's quick intervention of sliding the food to the side in anticipation of the other girls clumsiness saving it. "Good one." the brown-haired girl said before sitting cross legged as the engineer passed her portion over.

The boatswain looked horrified as she watched the person across from her devour the food in a matter of seconds. _Did she even get to taste it?_ Korra looked pleased with the speed she had managed to gobble up the meal, wiping her mouth with her arm.

"Classy as always." Asami groaned as she began to eat her share delicately and with poise.

"You know it." Korra winked before standing up and looking out to the horizon.

"It's getting colder." she said absently as she stared.

"It definitely is." Asami responded between swallows. _Is something wrong?_ "You should really think about getting a thicker coat." she suggested, trying her best not to sound patronizing.

"The cold doesn't really effect me. It keeps me alert. Thanks for the concern though." she stated gratefully. Asami looked up at her in worry, trying to gauge her thoughts. Not something she had ever excelled in. Eventually she gave up and focused on the food in front of her.

"Are you cold?" Korra questioned, there was something unusual about her tone. A hidden agenda.

"Yeh, I guess. It's even colder up here than down there. Luckily this food is keeping my hands warm." Asami muttered wearily.

"Well it's just that, Bolin was saying that, you know - when people, normal people-are cold, that they. Uhmm..eh..." Korra wittered on nervously as she shifted from side to side. _What's going on here?_

"Just spit it out Korra." Asami moaned, taking another bite of her food. _I bet she wants some of my food. I told her not eat so quickly._

"What I was going to say was that...this is gonna sound weird."

"I doubt that."

"I was talking to Bolin earlier, and he said that people who are cold, like it is today. They do this to keep warm. Then he hugged me, even though I told him I wasn't cold already and I just thought that..." the nervous teen rattled on.

"Are you saying you want to hug tool?" Asami joked, hoping to calm the other girls nerves. Korra slumped down beside her. "Kinda?"

The boatswain considered her friends expression for a few seconds. _When was the last time someone just hugged her for no real reason, just for the sake of it? Her parents?_

"Hmm. I suppose it would be nice to hug in a situation where neither of us were being held prisoner, or risking our lives, or waking up from the brink of death." Asami smiled, opening out her arms in invitation.

"Agreed" Korra squeaked before wrapping her arms tightly around the engineer, sighing in contentment and closing her eyes. "You were right about the cold. Thanks for being my heater, tool."

"It was Bolin's advice and anytime, Miss boatswain."

The pair remained silent for several minutes as they sat together. It was never awkward or uncomfortable. Just being in each others company was enough, they never had to make an effort to keep the other entertained. Although they would often try, usually to their own detriment and humiliation.

It was Korra who eventually broke the peaceful quiet. Standing up again and stretching her arms.

"There's something out there. In the ocean, I can only just make it out. I think it's a ship." she said, slightly confused and anxious. The green eyed girl stood up to join her, deliberately moving close enough so that their shoulders brushed. _It's narrow up here._ She followed Korra's pointing arm to a spot at least a 30 minute distance from the 'The Osprey'. She could see nothing at all. Just endless ocean.

"I can't see anything, are you sure? What did the boat look like?" Asami inquired politely.

Korra waved her arms in frustration, hoping like that would someone make her friend see what she had witnessed. "It was right there, clear as day. A BIG ship. Like the kind only the imperials would have, or a really wealthy company." _Like Future Industries._ That thought unnerved her greatly. Asami Sato was a person she had almost forgotten, her wealthy ways and mannerisms. What would her father think of her now, covered in dirt and grime, befriending and quite frankly crushing hard on lower class 'scum'?

"The clouds must be covering it now if it was there. The ship you described shouldn't even be able to keep up with us, especially with the improvements I've made to the rudder and sails." she stated with confidence.

"I know that. But I saw it. I know what I saw. I'm sure of it, we have to tell Macmillan." Korra said, about to climb down the ratlines again before the engineer grabbed her arm. "And what exactly would you tell him? We don't even know what you saw, not really. We don't want to start another panic in the crew until we know for certain." Asami advised. _The boat is already on edge without another scare._

"That makes sense. But I think I should still tell Macmillan. He'll keep it to himself. The last thing he would want is a full on riot on here." Korra nodded. _If she believes the Quartermaster can be trusted then so will I._ "If that's what you thinks best then I'm behind you all the way." she stated quickly.

Korra smiled gratefully at that. "I'll speak to you later." she grinned before continuing her descendant down the ratlines and out of sight entirely. Asami stood still for a few moments before turning to look in the direction of the mystery ship. There was still only cloud and ocean. She hoped against hope that her friend had seen nothing, that it was just her imagination. A painful churning in her stomach told her otherwise.

Dusk had fallen on the boat as the manual activity on board began to wind down for the night, some of the crew had already headed off to the sleeping quarters. Asami could feel herself wavering after a long day, her hammock was calling. She wondered if Korra would be there as she walked across the moonlit deck, her leather boots echoing in the night. The way the light bounced off the wood was an unwelcome reminder of the day she had been accused of sabotaging the ship. She hadn't seen the other girl since she had went to speak to the Quartermaster earlier about the mystery boat.

It didn't worry her particularly. _The safest place for her on board is with that man. He cares about her like a daughter._ Bolin had been kind enough to swap hammocks with her so that now she found herself directly below Korra at night. _The safest place for me on board._ The young man played the fool around the rest of the crew trying to win hearts but the engineer was certain he took in a lot more than he let on. He was obviously aware of the growing closeness between herself and Korra. Something the rest of the crew had been completely blind to thus far, their picnics in the crows-nest still a secret.

_We're both a little too good at keeping secrets._

She continued walking, deep in thought as she ventured down the stairs to the lower decks, darkness surrounding her. She didn't need any light, the path to the crew quarters engrained in her mind. She wondered if Korra would be asleep already, or if she was still speaking with the Quartermaster in his own office off the main deck.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her shoulder forcing her against the wall, she raised her hand quickly, about to jab her attacker in the neck with precision. _That would loosen their grip. _Amber eyes shined in the gloom of the stairway_._

"Mako, what the hell are you doing?!" she spat, lowering her hand slightly. He looked angry, very angry. _What's going on?_ The boys stern expression melted away slightly when he saw the fear and confusion in Asami's eyes, he did however persistently keep a firm grip on her arms, pinning her to the wall.

"I could ask the same of you. Asami SATO." he said, his voice laced with a venom that the engineer never knew he was capable of. The boatswain looked around him briefly. There was no one else around to hear what was being said. _He planned this well._

"What do you want from me Mako?" she retorted with just as much anger and an edge of panic. Was her mission about to collapse all around her? How could he know her true identity? She had been so very careful. His brash demeanor when he had been in her company the past few weeks suddenly making a lot of sense. _I'm rich and he's poor. Of course he hates me._

"The truth. I know who you are rich girl. You've been lying to all of us from the start, to Bolin, to Korra." he accused, leaning his face into hers. The mention of Korra's name cut deep. _You did lie. You did. But why would he be this angry about it?_

"Yeh, so. I'm not who I said I was. None of you are either, you're all a bunch of liars telling wild tales to make your past seem less depressing and terrible. You all preach great stories about your lives to gloss over the bad things that have happened to you, to forget because its too painful to remember. It's something we all do, regardless of how much money we have." she stated resolutely. Mako raised his eyebrow slightly, confused by her response. _That seems to have struck a chord with him._

"I lied. I don't feel good about it buts that only because I knew people would react like this." she gestured to their current predicament. "We're pirates now. What does it matter where we came from?" she continued. The other teenager grabbed her arms more forcefully.

"Of course I know it doesn't matter. If me and Bolin stayed bogged down with our past we would never get anywhere." he answered, there was a tragic edge to his tone, as though he was reliving those instances when the world had seemed darkest. His eyes flashed again, back to the task at hand.

"That's not why I'm speaking to you now. The whole Sato thing I could of got over. We all could of. That's not what this is about." _I don't like where this is going._

"Then what exactly is this about?" she asked furiously, raising her arms in preparation for an attack. She really didn't want to hurt Mako but at the moment he wasn't giving her much choice.

"It's about you and Macmillan." he paused, giving her a chance to speak. _The Quartermaster? What has he got to do with anything, he's far more involved with Korra than me._ The black-haired rigger seemed to really despise the man. _It would be best to continue this conversation by referring to him with the same distaste. Oh god, Korra will hate me._

"Macmillan? What on earth does he have to do with this? Explain." she said incredulously. Mako looked increasingly uneasy, the sincere confusion in Asami's voice making his resolve waver slightly. His grip was beginning to loosen. _This would be the best time to attack. To get free of his grip._ She quickly decided against it, the last time she had thrown an attacker to the ground hadn't ended very well for Korra.

"You and Macmillan have been working together this whole time. You sabotaged the ship together." Asami frowned her eyebrow at that, how many times was she going to been accused? _I nearly died fixing that damn rudder!_

"I'm sick of people blaming me for that. I repaired the ship. Why would I break it and then fix it?" she demanded. Mako looked dumbfounded.

"Because...Because you were covering your tracks." _Really? Oh come on._ "Okay, lets theorize. Even if that were true what possible purpose would there have been in halting the ship?" she queried him.

"You stopped the ship in a pre-arranged location, waiting for another, more powerful ship to come along and salvage it for materials...or something else like that." he stated, nodding his head as if to reassure himself. He reached into his pocket and pulling out a map and sticking it in her face. The location of the crash-site was indeed marked on it. _That's Macmillan's hand-writing._

"Where did you get this?" Her mind was racing now, pieces of an illusive puzzle suddenly beginning to fit together.

"It's from the Quartermasters office. I stole it with Kuvira's help." he stated, putting it back in his pocket. _I should of known the Captain would be involved with this._

"So I suppose the Captain's involved in this too." she sighed.

"No. He doesn't know. It was just the two of us that planned it. We agreed that I would confront you directly, that it would be the best way to get information." _He thinks I'm weak._

"And why do you think I'm involved?" she inquired. He pulled out yet another bit of paper with her face drawn on it, details of her date of birth, family and true name scribbled onto. "That proves absolutely nothing. So Macmillan knows who I am. That doesn't tell you anything other than that he is interested in who is on board. Have you ever considered that maybe the Quartermaster intends to ransom me when this mystery ship appears, to my wealthy father?" she questioned directly.

That suggestion seemed to shatter Mako completely, as he dropped his arms down. "Nothing fitted together how I wanted it to. You kept doing things that contradicted what I thought, like in the storm, the way you are with Korra. I wanted to believe I had got it wrong." he breathed.

"I didn't want you to manipulate her and Bolin the way the Macmillan already has." _He wanted me not to be the villain the paperwork implied._

"I understand and you're not completely wrong either. I think that this map is enough for us to seriously doubt Macmillan. This boat pursuing theory seems like a high possibility. He's been charming the crew this whole time, making sure he could overthrow the Captain whenever the time came, sabotaging the ship to get it to stop in the coordinates he needed it to then blamed me for it." Asami spoke, becomingly increasingly overwhelmed.

"He's been turning Korra against Lincoln this whole time. So that when that time came, no one would be able to fix the ship, to repair the rudder and help us escape this other boat. I'm guessing he didn't expect the storm, and especially not the Captain and Korra working together to free me." Mako nodded in agreement.

"He's a master manipulator. A genius really." he stated plainly.

"And he's got Korra wrapped around his finger." she said ominously, looking back up towards deck. She jumped on the spot as she suddenly remembered where the other girl was now. She grabbed Mako by the shoulders viciously.

"Earlier today, Korra said that she saw a huge boat in the distance. I never saw it myself but it would make sense. It must be Macmillan's follow up ship that she saw." the engineer exclaimed, now beginning to panic. Mako looked gravely concerned. _She really had seen something then._

"We're in serious trouble now. I'll need to speak with Kuvira as soon as possible. We need to make a plan." he said, hand on his chin in deep thought. "Where is Korra now?" he suddenly asked.

"She's...Oh god. She's with Macmillan. She went to go speak to him about the ship." she trembled. Mako looked equally shaken. "If he gets the slightest inclination that someone knows anything about his plan..." he paused with worry.

"He'll kill them." Asami finished his sentence. _Would he really do that? Would he kill Korra for his game plan?_

The engineer wasn't sure anymore. Everything she thought she knew about the Quartermaster had been shattered in the past few minutes. She had no clue what he was capable of. She slowly pulled a sharp edged tool from her bag.

_I'm not waiting to find out._


	9. Blood on the Deck

**Chapter 9: 'Blood on the Deck'**

**Author Notes:**

_Woop for multiple POV chapter. The fluff is reduced more in this part, sorry about that. This is an all action chapter. Thanks for all of the reviews so far, never be afraid to leave one or ask questions. I will always reply. I love you guys :D Also make sure to check out my canon compliant Korrasami story whilst you wait for the next chapter._

* * *

"What exactly are you going to do when we confront Macmillan?" Mako whispered as he and the engineer tip-toed across the wooden deck, hugging into the deep shadows which coated the ship at this late hour. Asami's head didn't even turn to respond, instead she was glaring fiercely at the yellow glow radiating from the window of the Quartermaster office a few meters ahead of them.

"I don't know. Let's see what we find in there first." she replied, eyes flicking towards a long sharp tool she held in a shaking grip. Mako quietly wondered what exactly that object was used for, probably something to do with riveting._She needs to calm down otherwise she's going to be totally vulnerable if we do have to fight with the Quartermaster_ The black-haired boy was sure that he wouldn't be able to defeat Macmillan in combat one on one, the older mans experience far out weighed his.

As they crawled closer and closer to their target a great sense of unease filled the rigger. His gut told him to beware. In the past his instinct have proved to be incredibly accurate, had saved his brothers life on occasions. Now in the blackness of the ship at night he was forced to ignore everything his mind screamed at him. If they had time, maybe he could of called on Kuvira and the Captain's support. _That could lead to a civil war on board, the Quartermaster's supporters far out number the Captains. There is no way they would let their leader be arrested without a fight._

The idea of a conflict within the tight confinements of the ship was terrifying, especially at night where it would be difficult to identify friend or foe. Most of the pirate crew were armed to the teeth with pistols and swords to add to the mix. Those men certainly knew how to use their weapons, a lifetime in abject poverty would do that. _So many people would die._

He reached towards the holster on his belt expecting to make contact with the metal and wood of his pistol. Nothing. "Asami, hold up!" he hissed as low as possible, frantically tapping all over his clothes in search of the missing item.

Where had it gone? He was certain he had it earlier. That weapon was the most valuable thing he owned, he had stolen it at the age of seven from an imperial guard and roughly engraved his name into the varnished mahogany that very same day. The naive child he was thought that marking it would make it his possession permanently. Over the years it had become extension of his own anatomy through daily target practice with glass bottles. Mako's aim was deadly.

"What's wrong?!" she whispered, panic in her voice. She turned around, her eyes searching for any potential threats nearby. Now she just looked confused as she searched the shadows to know avail.

"It's my pistol. It's gone, someone must of took it. We can't confront Macmillan without a gun." he warned, grabbing Asami's arm to pull her away from the candle light. Her green eyes stared down at the deck as she quickly processed their options.

"We can go and get Kuvira and Bolin. Give ourselves a fair chance against him, instead of going in blindly." She threw her head upwards, staring directly at him, daring him to be stupid for the first time in his life. Her arm wriggled free of his grip.

"We don't have time to mess about here Mako. Korra's life is at stake. The longer we delay, the more danger we put her in." she reached into her tool bag, pulling out a heavy looking hammer and holding it out in front of her. "It's now or never."

Mako stretched his hand out, taking the hammer despite his reservations. His hand dropped to the deck suddenly, the shear weight of the object taking him by surprise. _How does she swing this thing?_ The rigger was uncertain how he would be able to move with this attached to his person, it would hinder free movement considerably. Nailing himself to the ground was much more Bolin's style of fighting than his, he relied on speed and agility far more.

The black-haired engineer was moving forward again silently like an alley cat. The Quartermasters office looming ahead. Mako moved behind her as quickly as his new weapon would allow. His footsteps were slightly louder than he would have liked. Asami had made the decision for him, had forced his hand. He could never let the girl face Macmillan alone. He would never have forgiven himself.

Instead he prepared himself for combat, holding the hammer out in front of him defensively. _This won't do much good against a pistol or a sword._

Suddenly Asami sprinted ahead, the poise and stealth which had previously dictated her movements completely lost in a moment of madness. Mako reached out a hand to stop her but she was already out of reach, running towards something lying on the deck. The amber-eyed boy followed as silently as possible, screwing his eyebrows as he tried to see what was ahead through the darkness.

It was a body. Someones body._Korra?!_

"Asami stop!" Mako shouted as he charged across the ship, wrapping his arms forcefully around the engineer's waist and yanked her back. _I can't let her see this._

The green eyed girl began to retort in his grip as he turned her away, punching him viciously in the chest. Her fists had a strength the young man hadn't been aware of until now as he struggled to hold her in place. The commotion on the deck drew the rest of the crew from their quarters, Macmillan and Lincoln appeared on opposite ends of 'The Osprey'. The Captain was accompanied by Kuvira who looked horrified at what she was seeing. The Quartermaster also appeared stunned, he was flanked by a group of his loyalists.

"Mako let me go! Let me go!" Asami shrieked as she wriggled in his grip, fists still pounding with the same venom and vigor.

Macmillan leaped down from the quarter deck, his long jacket flowing in the wind as he moved with speed and purpose towards the tussling pair. Mako's eyes widened as he watched the formidable man approach. _What's he going to do!?_

The moment he reached them he forced them aside with a staggering shove. "Get out of my way!" he yelled as the two teenagers fell painfully to the floor.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!" Mako lunged upwards about to grab a hold of the man and pull him back from the body. His intervention was immediately prevented when three of the Quartermasters men pointed their pistols at the engineer and himself. The black-haired boy put his hands above his head in surrender. There would be no point in dying in a fight he could never win.

The click of a pistol being cocked right behind him made Mako spin around, moving his hands in front of his form defensively. _I recognize that sound._

Asami stood to his rear, pointing _his_ pistol at the Quartermaster's loyalists, her grip was absolutely steady, her eyes fierce with an animalistic rage. _Where had she gotten that from?_Macmillan spun around to face them, he appeared shocked, clenching his fists in extreme frustration.

"Asami where did you get my pistol!?" Mako shouted.

She inched forward slightly, flicking the pistols sight between the three men who faced her. "You told me you didn't have it but it was sitting in your belt."

"Why did you lie!?"

_I'm sure I didn't have it. How did it get back there?_ His amber eyes flicked towards the Quartermaster, a strange scowl was spread across his lower jaw. He could see the cogs in Macmillan's mind turning rapidly, planning his next move. _Macmillan. He did something._

* * *

Asami tried to keep the Quartermaster's men at bay, angling the pistol towards their heads. It was good for two shots before reloading, not enough to take them all down. Instead she gestured for them to lower their weapons.

"Move aside." she commanded. She needed to see who the body belonged to on deck. All that was visible from this position was blood streaming from the unfortunate person ahead. She prayed it wasn't Korra. Logic told her it couldn't be. The Quartermaster was far too intelligent to have killed a popular member of the crew so openly on the deck. _He would of hidden it, or at least made it look accidentally._

She couldn't help but notice the Captain's lack of input as she stepped forward slowly, heart pounding as her mind conjured a image of Korra lying in a pool of red. Lincoln's distance made her uneasy. Why was he not intervening in a conflict between his crew? Unless he's afraid of Macmillan.

The sound of footsteps approaching from the stern of the boat grabbed her attention. She couldn't turn around. Not if she wanted to avoid being shot in the head by the Quartermaster's men. Instead she kept the pistol focused on the immediate danger in front of her.

"Asami what are you doing?!" a voice called behind her.

_Korra?!_

"Are you two insane?!" Bolin was with her.

"Lower the gun Asami." Korra ordered firmly, moving slowly towards her.

_It's not her. You aren't protecting anyone now. Drop the gun. Macmillan can't do anything with this large an audience._ The engineer complied immediately, kicking the gun towards the Quartermaster's men. She felt Korra move to stand beside her, her gloved hand firmly gripping the hilt of dagger. Readying herself to defend the older girl in case of retaliation.

She felt Bolin's strong arms pull her back, trying to diffuse the situation. "Everybody calm down. We're all friends here. Nobody needs to get hurt, okay? You were _all_ pointing guns at each other."

* * *

Korra moved towards Macmillan cautiously, turning briefly to check Asami was at a safe distance before throwing her dagger onto the deck and raising her arms in surrender. _Who is it that's lying on the deck?_ "Quartermaster, Sir. The boatswain was only defending herself against your men, she never intended to fire."

Macmillan shifted away from his loyalists, standing in front of his apprentice and nodding his head respectively. "Emotions will do that to a person. I also acted out of turn" he turned to face the body on the deck. _It's the head of rigging..._ Korra hadn't known him very well, but he had seemed friendly anytime she had spoken to him with Mako. The man was in his late 30's, a little too old to be a pirate, but he had been allowed to remain in the crew due to his experience and popularity on the ship.

"I believed this body to be you, Korra. And you're friends stood in my way."

His eyes flickered towards a group of the sailors. "Cover up the body and call the doctor up here." The Quartermaster bent down to examine the corpse before it was concealed.

"Rigging master Samuel has been murdered." A unified gasp echoed from the crew. Macmillan ran his hand carefully along the dead man as his apprentice observed.

"What happened to him?" she inquired quietly as Lincoln and Kuvira joined them. "Quartermaster. What is the meaning of this chaos you have brought onto the deck of _my_ ship?" the Captain barked. Kuvira's eyes glanced briefly towards Mako, who nodded with as little movement as possible, hoping to avoid anyone noticing. _What's going on between them?_

"It appears someone has shot Rigging master Samuel." he replied sharply, mind scanning the crew around him with suspicion.

"I want no one to leave this deck." the Captain commanded as the doctor appeared on the scene, a box of medical implements in his hands.

"Kuvira, search the rest of the ship for any stragglers, bring anyone you find back to my office for questioning." The black-haired woman bowed, before making her way down into the darkness of the lower decks.

The doctor passed a small, shimmering object, covered in blood, into the Quartermaster's hand. He held it up to the moonlight, examining it carefully.

The Captain moved beside him, taking the object from him. "The bullet. It's from an imperial pistol." Macmillan nodded before turning to face the crew.

"There's only one person on board this ship who I have seen with an imperialists weapon. Mako the rigger." he announced, his claim met with a wall of vicious noise from the crew. Many of them were calling for Mako's head instantly. _Their going to kill him!_ The dark-skinned girl ran towards the rigger, Bolin and Asami had already taken a protective position in front of him.

"You can't just kill him! You don't even know if it was my brother than did it!" Bolin cried as large section of the crew swarmed towards the group. Korra pulled her dagger from her sheath. _I can't defend them all!_

"All of you back down!" Quartermaster Macmillan boomed, pulling his own pistol from it's sheath and standing directly in front of his apprentice.

"We have laws and rules on this ship. You don't just get to kill someone because you want to. We nearly made that mistake with our engineer before. Mako will be arrested and given a fair trial." he waited for the Captain's approval.

Lincoln moved forward. "Remove Mako's weapon and take him to the brig. He will be given a trial in 2 days time. If he is found guilty I will execute him myself." Several of the Captain's slightly older men moved to take the rigger. Korra hesitated, maintaining her ground. She didn't want to have to bust someone out of the brig ever again.

"Korra, let them take him." Bolin advised. "I don't like it anymore than you do but there's no point in dying here."

"The three of us will prove that he didn't do it." Asami assured, putting her hand on Korra's marked hand and lowering her knife. "You stopped me from doing something stupid earlier, don't make a mistake now."

The brown-haired girl returned her blade to her belt, eyes darting across to Mako as he was taken below deck. He turned to face the threesome and smiled.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Talk to Asami, she knows what to do."

Korra felt the engineer shudder slightly as she and Bolin turned to face her. "What's he talking about?" Bolin questioned, trying not to get angry.

"Asami, what is it you know?" Korra interrogated, feeling more confused by the second._God I hate to see her so anxious._ The green eyed girl seemed to squirm under the interrogation, eyes darting towards the Quartermaster briefly.

"It's not something we can talk about here. I promise I'll explain, but we need to go somewhere private. It's too dangerous to speak about out in the open." she warned cautiously, glancing up at the crows nest.

"Time for a picnic?" Korra inquired, raising an eyebrow playfully. Bolin looked rather perplexed by the aura between the two but pretended to understand, his expression deadly serious.

Asami nodded firmly. "There's a lot we have to talk about."

* * *

Mako stared down at the ground as he led to the brig by two of the Captain's men. They were completely silent. The heavy chains around his wrists dug in painfully. They were sharp having been recently replaced as a result of Asami's actions.

The metal door to brig lay ahead, it had also been recently replaced. One of the men with him swung the heavy door open, there was no one else inside. _That was Asami's cell._ Suddenly he felt a boot kick him inside, landing painful in the dirt. So much for being treated fairly. He choked back a cry, unwilling to give them the satisfaction of having injured him.

"You two, back to the main deck." a voice called from the stairs.

_Macmillan?!_ He could of sworn those men had been loyal to the Captain.

The two sailors disappeared out of sight, leaving the door wide open. Mako backed away to the rear wall, searching for a weapon. The Quartermasters large frame appeared at the door, a look of smug satisfaction across his face. He was certain that this was the real Macmillan he was witnessing now, his mask finally peeled back in the gloom of the brig.

"What are you doing down here?" Mako spat. The Quartermaster began to chuckle as he moved towards him, placing his boot firmly on the young man's chest and forcing him against the wall. The amber eyed boy struggled in his grip.

"So many questions. You've been asking a lot of them. About the Captain, Kuvira, Miss Sato and of course myself." he smirked, leaning forward into the other man's face, applying more pressure to his boot.

"You've been scheming against me for weeks, thinking you would get away with it but you made a fatal mistake. Taking my maps." he explained as he reached inside Mako's pocket, pulling the documents away carefully and placing them back in his own jacket.

"It certainly impressed me that you managed to pick the lock on my chest, you are a talented thief. I'll give you that but you're not very smart. I check that chest every night, and I knew very quickly that someone had tampered with it. It didn't take me long to figure out who was responsible. You're the only person on board with the skills capable of breaking a lock like that. Your reputation amongst the crew for such things is commendable." he lectured as he paced around the cell, enjoying his perceived victory.

"You bastard!" Mako shouted, trying to crawl towards the door.

"I couldn't allow someone with your knowledge to wander around the ship freely, so I planned a way to get rid of you permanently using your favorite weapon against you." he smiled, crouching down.

"My pistol?!" _Of course. It all makes sense now, he must of stolen my pistol and put it back in my belt in the moment he shoved me and Asami to the ground._

Macmillan nodded joyfully. "You're not the only one on board this ship with some pick-pocketing skills. It was fairly simple to plant the weapon back on you, you were so caught up in dealing with the engineer and the body."

The Quartermaster strode towards the door. "The crew will find you guilty, that I can guarantee. They were going to execute Asami with no evidence whatsoever. They have all the proof they need to kill you and best of all I don't even have to get my hands dirty."

He was right. The crew would find him guilty. Mako was certain Macmillan would put a flea in their ears as well, sends rumors around the ship to put his guilt in no doubt. It didn't help that the Quartermasters men by far out numbered those loyal to Captain. He wondered what the others could possibly to do save him. _They will end up getting themselves killed._

Macmillan stopped at the exit, strong hands gripping the heavy door and pulling it shut, filling the cell in darkness.

"Goodnight Mako. Sleep tight."

* * *

**End Notes:**

_Dun Dun Dun. So you guys guessed it. Our Mr Macmillan is up to no good, I tried to portray him as not all out bad, he isn't clearly. None of the characters in this fic are but he is a scheming bastard xD I hope you enjoyed this one despite the lack of fluff. It was nice to finally write for Korra again. God it's been a while. All questions and what not welcome. I really wouldn't want to be on the Osprey man, if you were in the crew what job would you want?_


	10. UPDATE

UPDATE

-Hey, long time no chapter. First of all my apologies for that for those of you who have been following the story, honestly I don't have any great excuses for my there hasn't be any chapters but here are a few.

-I've got another huge canon Korrasami that's been under way for quite some time set post Book 4, that was only meant to be a two chapter thing but it evolved after it became very popular so it's now a full 30 chapter story which I'm still powering through at the moment, seriously if you want some Korrasami feels go and check it out on my profile.

-I don't think you can really blame me for pouring more of my efforts into a story which is getting much more attention.

-Secondly, my laptop crashed and I lost the chapter plans for the rest of this story, I'm can remember the story pretty well but it's taking me some time to get those plans back in order again, especially since I'd already laid out all of the major plot points and had been putting hints of things to come throughout the earlier chapters.

-I'm probably going to be going through all of these early chapters and proof reading them like a maniac.

-FINALLY, I WILL be continuing this story at some point in the near future although I do highly recommend that you go back and read those earlier chapters since it's been so long this I updated and you've probably forgotten a lot of what went down (I certainly have xD) So keep your eye out and hopefully I'll have some more Uncharted Waters for you in the future! :)


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